New Member with Question about Oxycontin vs Oxycodone. So confused! ?

[Pippa]

Hi DooMMooD- I can say that I do know for sure that they have reacted very differently for my husband because of the time release and immediate release aspect of the medications? It has made a big difference, actually it has made all of the difference. Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are saying. ? Or maybe it works differently for different people?
I may be wrong, but I thought Oxycontin was always time released and was meant to be long acting and Oxycodone was immediate release and did not last as long? I don't know much about how they work for others or how many different formulations they are made. So any input would be helpful to explain it to me better. Thanks for your response.

 

[DooMMooD]

Oxycodone is the name of the drug.

You can have time released oxycodone (oxycontin), or instant released oxycodone.

Oxycontin is a brand name for a specific controlled release form of oxycodone.

So yes, oxycontin is always time release. But oxycodone can be both time release AND instant release.

As for telling the doctor: you should tell the pharmacist. The look in a pharmacists face when they realize that they have filled the script wrong is...priceless to say the least. And they almost always correct it immediately.

Next time a pharmacist gives you the wrong meds, wait patiently for them to physically give them to you, look them over and go "Hey this is wrong. Look at the script buddy." The speed with which their face sours and gets that "oh shit" look, is impressive to say the least. Because THEY fucked up, meaning they are supposed to correct their fuck up. If they have the script still on file (which they always do now a days), tell them "Hey this bottle says something different tha usual. can you check the script for me?" They will rectify it if it is done right there. I dunno about weeks later, but yeah.

I've had this happen to me first hand (given a different type of vicodin in place of what i was supposed to receive. They fixed it & i got to keep both bottles!)

 

[Jabberwocky]

ummm....

yes, you're allowed to keep to medicine, but strictly speaking you'd be better off giving it back if you don't use IR tablets because:
1. they will be way too powerful if you're used to ER medicine
2. they will skyrocket your tolerance if you start taking them alongside your ER
3. this can also lead to you taking more medication

people also make mistakes. it happens sometimes, and i don't think its really appropriate to rub it in their face type thing, i'd rather just give the medication back and take what i should get, as it makes everyone's life easier.

however strictly speaking, you could realize that IR tablets are actually more useful for your pain condition rather than ER, thus benefiting you, and your next prescription.

just my .2

i do love it when pharmacists fuck up prescriptions though. i remember i was once prescribed 70 tablets of xanax - and in the UK they come in boxes of 60. i received two full boxes, walked out with a smirk on my face and they never realized, i didn't have to refill for a much longer period which was great, all prescriptions in the UK cost the same anyways, so saved me some money and time

 

[Tommyboy]

As for telling the doctor: you should tell the pharmacist. The look in a pharmacists face when they realize that they have filled the script wrong is...priceless to say the least. And they almost always correct it immediately.

Next time a pharmacist gives you the wrong meds, wait patiently for them to physically give them to you, look them over and go "Hey this is wrong. Look at the script buddy." The speed with which their face sours and gets that "oh shit" look, is impressive to say the least. Because THEY fucked up, meaning they are supposed to correct their fuck up. If they have the script still on file (which they always do now a days), tell them "Hey this bottle says something different tha usual. can you check the script for me?" They will rectify it if it is done right there. I dunno about weeks later, but yeah.

I've had this happen to me first hand (given a different type of vicodin in place of what i was supposed to receive. They fixed it & i got to keep both bottles!)

Was it ever confirmed that it was the pharmacists mistake, because the doctor very well could have written the prescription for the wrong formulation of the drug. Also, I don't know why you are so interested in a pharmacist making a mistake and you making them rectify it. It's a person at their job making a mistake. It happens, so I don't see what the big deal is. Yes you should point out the mistake to them so that they can correct the mistake, but I'm not going to get off on the look of their face when they realize they made a mistake.

 

[DooMMooD]

Was it ever confirmed that it was the pharmacists mistake, because the doctor very well could have written the prescription for the wrong formulation of the drug. Also, I don't know why you are so interested in a pharmacist making a mistake and you making them rectify it. It's a person at their job making a mistake. It happens, so I don't see what the big deal is. Yes you should point out the mistake to them so that they can correct the mistake, but I'm not going to get off on the look of their face when they realize they made a mistake.

The written script did NOT match what they gave me. Meaning it WAS the pharmacists fuck up.

Its not like I get off on it. I didnt say anything further than "Hey, this script is not the one i got last time. Could you check it?"

It was just funny to me, personally, because they always bitched me out. So it was a personal experience, nothing more. Its priceless whenever anyone fucks up THAT bad. Especially considering how controlled/careful pharmacists SHOULD BE....comeon. And take from this what you will. But if you think im some sadist that gets off on someone fucking up their job...you are far from the $$$ on that one.

Would you say "oh no biggie" if a pharmacist gave some lady opana 40s in place of medicine for their children? And the children ate them and died? No you wouldn't.

Its not just "someone fucking up their job, oh well move on," its not like some dude at Burger King forgetting your whopper junior. Shits a big deal. A pharmacists supposed to be on point and extra careful. Thats why they do what they do. Any idiot can count pills, but not every idiot can get the right medications for the right script.

 

[Tommyboy]

The written script did NOT match what they gave me. Meaning it WAS the pharmacists fuck up.

Its not like I get off on it. its just funny to me, because they always bitched me out. So it was a personal experience, nothing more. Its priceless whenever anyone fucks up THAT bad. Especially considering how controlled/careful pharmacists SHOULD BE....comeon

Would you find it funny if a pharmacist gave some lady opana 40s in place of medicine for their children? And the children ate them an died? A pharmacists supposed to be on point and extra careful. Thats why they do what they do. Any idiot can count pills, but not every idiot can get the right medications for the right script.

Even if that was the case I don't see a reason to belittle the pharmacist about it, hoping they screw up so you could point out their mistake just to see the look on their face.

What I'm saying is how do you know who made the mistake? A lot of times people blindly take their prescription to get filled, and most of the time they can't even read the scribble that is a doctors handwriting. The only thing most people look at is quantity. The doctor could have written IR instead of ER and it would be hard for anyone other than the pharmacist to tell the difference.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

Thanks for explaining Pippa . I was not judging you or implying you were being dishonest or anything, I was just confused as to what in particular you still needed help with. It's definitely ok to keep discussing it. I hope you stick around .

I agree with you that he should talk to his Dr about the pharmacy mistake and that it may open doors to be able to explore what works best for him. What I would do personally is just be honest and tell the doctor everything you just told me, that he couldn't get it changed after he realized the mistake and when he takes the IR oxycodone, it helps much better than the Oxycontin, but it doesn't last as long, and see what the doctor recommends. Hopefully this experience will help him get more effective treatment for his pain in the future.

In the meantime, if he's happy with having great relief part of the time and little relief in between doses, then he should keep taking it as scheduled. The only options I can think of in order for him to not have it run out early would be to do that or to take less per dose but take it more times a day. I can understand if he'd rather have more relief part of the time, because that's how I sometimes feel too - if I can feel fine for 1/2 the day but in pain for 1/2 the day I'd sometimes choose that as opposed to just feeling moderate pain all the time. Also if he can time the times he takes it to the times of day he tends to be in the most pain that could be helpful.

 

[DooMMooD]

Just curious about this: when did i say I belittled them?

I said the look on their face was priceless and that i politely said "hey this bottle did not match what the last one said or the script itself. Can you check it again?"

Literally could not have been more polite about it actually now that I look back.

I still stand by my point: it isn't like fucking up your order at burger king. FYI most pharmacists dont need to read the docs handwriting anyway because in addition to the written script, it is done electronically, at least in the 2 states I have lived in. Which is why you cannot exactly just get a docs pad, find out their DEA #, and go to town. There are checks and balances to prevent this exact thing from happening. If they screw up its on them. And its a big deal.

Also on the note of doctors handwriting: a friend of mine recently started his residency in pain management speciality. Wanna know what he told me? Some doctors (ones dispensing large amounts of narcotics in particular) INTENTIONALLY write a certain way: spell double letters with singles, do abstract retarded handwriting that looks wrong, etc. That way, the pharmacist can VERIFY it is specifically their handwriting and not a forgery. meaning that you cannot forge a docs handwriting unless you know specifically how he writes, what he misspells, etc. Meaning it is their job to check electronically and compare it to the paper.

Sorry I dont enjoy it when people mess up their jobs. Especially when i'm paying them to do said job. But! i never belittle them, dont get it twisted. Thats a pretty big assumption from what I said, especially considering I wrote word for word what I said.

Once again: how would you feel if your aging father with alzheimers got tacrolimus instead of tacrine? And because of their alzheimers, they didn't even notice? And then they catch a cold from someone and die. You probably would not be too happy...

 

[Tommyboy]

^ "Look at the script, buddy" was what I was referring to, since people usually use that term when talking down to someone. One of your locations says NY, and I know that they don't do it electronically there, other than printing some prescriptions which makes it even easier to forge. At the beginning of each year they will call to verify a controlled substance prescription, but once you get it they will not call to verify anymore, so since the OP already got oxycodone this year it would not need to be verified if they got the same drug in a different formulation. I don't know what can be done electronically since doctors write prescriptions and go on with their day, and don't have to send something electronically to the pharmacy.

Mixing up oxycodone ER with oxycodone IR is a bit different than mixing up tacrolimus with tacrine, no?

 

[HaZeX]

Electronically should only be able to be done on CIII and up, My PM dr in NY does not do it, I overheard from another person, but all my RX's are CII anyway. So I just get a script. My pharmacy never verifies with the DR, never did when I brought the very first script in.