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  • EADD Moderators: Pissed_and_messed | Shinji Ikari

Help from UK members needed regarding benzo script possibly being taken off me

3dmusic said:
Hi
Thanks for your reply.
What is MMT please?
I wonder if it's a regional thing, with the first reply saying they refuse in the north east.
I also wonder if due to cutbacks, do you think as times were a bit easier back then, the GP's were willing to prescribe?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Methadone Maintenance Treatment. It's what the methadone clinic calls its program
 
Lusk79 said:
Methadone Maintenance Treatment. It's what the methadone clinic calls its program
Click to expand...
I dont think it's due to cut backs, not in my area of North Carolina anyways. Doctors here were writing scripts for pains like it was nothing. I think now its alot to do with new laws and overdoses.
 
Lusk79 said:
I dont think it's due to cut backs, not in my area of North Carolina anyways. Doctors here were writing scripts for pains like it was nothing. I think now its alot to do with new laws and overdoses.
Click to expand...
Hi, I didn't realise you were from the United States, the NHS are cutting back on services in the UK with it being a public service.
 
I know this thread is for European. I was just reading it and thought I could help a bit. Hope I didn't cause any problems or confusion. Thanks
 
3dmusic said:
Hi thanks for your helpful reply. You see knowledgeable.
Thanks for the idea about keeping a box, I've thrown them all away so far, hope the ones I have left will be proof.
I did think about gettting in in writing, but as per my first post, they have implied that I am demanding in the past and that i worry for no reason, but that just makes me feel fobbed off.
I have a few questions below, that I hope you don't mind answering please?
  1. Wouldn't I need a solicitor to raise a case against me for wilful medical negligence?
  2. I don't mean to negate your suggestion as it is good, but won't they see referring me to a drug agency as dilligence rather than negligence?
  3. How would i go about making a formal complaint without a solicitor and without an interruption to my supply?
Thanks
Click to expand...

As a start you can write to your GP, stating the situation and your perception of their flat refusal to prescribe a short maintenance and sensible taper, write it in a way that forces them to either deny or confirm the situation in writing.
Email is useful because people are less guarded and careful in emails but they are just as powerful evidentially.

The best outcome is that the GP agrees to take over the prescription and taper it at an agreed rate which gives you security and control over your own health and medications. If their response is unsatisfactory then you have many options, you can choose all or none of them,

you don't need to go down the solicitor legal route, you just need to make it clear that you know what their duties and obligations are and that you will go that route if necessary. Doctors fear lawyers.

Complain through the NHS:
Go and talk to NHS complaints advocacy. search online for them there will be a service provided by the local authority.

You can complain to the NHS commissioner of services, I would strongly advise that you get as much evidence in writing (in your own possession) as possible before making a formal complaint, because your GP will duck and dive and if it comes down to a he said she said kind of argument without corroborating evidence then it will be swept under the carpet. If the GP has a blanket policy, not driven by or considering patient needs, then they are in breach of their NHS service provision contract. They also deserve to be taken down for breaching their oath.

Move
You are also entitled to change GP. Likewise you are entitled to independently see a private doctor and not tell your GP, this will cost for the private consultation and any prescription will cost too but you are not obliged to tell anyone and the private doctor is forbidden to share information without your permission.

Trap the current prescriber:
proving the prescription and identifying the prescribing doctor. go for them instead of the GP..
The box will show the prescription details, more importantly a doctor will have had to prescribed that drug, he or she is bound by duty of care as soon as they make that prescription. the prescribing doctor may or may not be detailed on the box, do you collect the drugs in person, or is it from a pharmacy or dispensary. You need the prescribing doctors name!! diazepam is Prescription Only, and therefore it has to have a prescription. Remind the prescribing doctor of their duty of care and that you do not accept any referral and that they created the problem and it is their problem to fix.

The strange situation is that the acceptance of a drug is subject to informed consent, and therefore discontinuance of a drug is also subject to informed consent even more so if the proposed drug tapering regime is questionable medically.

good luck! do not show any mercy, get them where you have control again, and if you get to a situation where it is working for you do not show any mercy or any weakness, the current system is not co-operative it is adversarial and
the squeaky wheel gets oiled.

rant/
Benzodiazepines were never great things, but now they are regarded as the spawn of the devil to be exorcised from the (totally disfunctional) NHS. The crazy thing is that maintaining and tapering is cheaper than dealing with people turning up in casualty with seizures.
It should never have to be like this, the current NHS is disfuctional, it is guarded by incompetent gate keepers (GPs) and is overall shoddy, badly organized, hugely wastefull and almost never joined up. There are some great people working there but plenty more not so great people wasting oxygen
/rant
 
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novaveritas said:
It should never have to be like this, the current NHS is disfuctional, it is guarded by incompetent gate keepers (GPs) and is overall shoddy, badly organized, hugely wastefull and almost never joined up. There are some great people working there but plenty more not so great people wasting oxygen
/rant
Click to expand...

This is so true. The NHS is a very different beast to when it was set up in the 1940s. It's like a gigantic dysfunctional behemoth slowly crashing into a black hole, and no amount of throwing money at it will save it.

My recent exploits with the NHS ( my paralysed hand) have just highlighted the dire administrative and organisational side - for instance they sent me to completly the wrong hospital to get tests done FFS -a total cock-up; and a referral was marked 'urgent' by my GP; then a letter turned up saying I had an appointment in three month's time - wtf?! Urgent? It's abysmal

I've spoken to several competent consultants - some ex-NHS and some who stilll work in it - who say they've almost reached the end of their tether with the NHS's dysfunctional nature. There are some very good doctors who work in it (and also some not so great ones) but the administrative side of the NHS is appalling, as are some of the incompetent admin staff. It's an institution that really doesn't seem fit for purpose any more - its basically collapsing under its own weight - and despite what the Labour Party are constantly claiming - I don't believe that simply throwing more money at it is the answer - that will likely just lead to more waste and spendthriftery, leading to needs for more funding..... and it's a vicious cycle leading to oblivion
 
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noavevritas said:
As a start you can write to your GP, stating the situation and your perception of their flat refusal to prescribe a short maintenance and sensible taper, write it in a way that forces them to either deny or confirm the situation in writing.
Email is useful because people are less guarded and careful in emails but they are just as powerful evidentially.

The best outcome is that the GP agrees to take over the prescription and taper it at an agreed rate which gives you security and control over your own health and medications. If their response is unsatisfactory then you have many options, you can choose all or none of them,

you don't need to go down the solicitor legal route, you just need to make it clear that you know what their duties and obligations are and that you will go that route if necessary. Doctors fear lawyers.

Complain through the NHS:
Go and talk to NHS complaints advocacy. search online for them there will be a service provided by the local authority.

You can complain to the NHS commissioner of services, I would strongly advise that you get as much evidence in writing (in your own possession) as possible before making a formal complaint, because your GP will duck and dive and if it comes down to a he said she said kind of argument without corroborating evidence then it will be swept under the carpet. If the GP has a blanket policy, not driven by or considering patient needs, then they are in breach of their NHS service provision contract. They also deserve to be taken down for breaching their oath.

Move
You are also entitled to change GP. Likewise you are entitled to independently see a private doctor and not tell your GP, this will cost for the private consultation and any prescription will cost too but you are not obliged to tell anyone and the private doctor is forbidden to share information without your permission.

Trap the current prescriber:
proving the prescription and identifying the prescribing doctor. go for them instead of the GP..
The box will show the prescription details, more importantly a doctor will have had to prescribed that drug, he or she is bound by duty of care as soon as they make that prescription. the prescribing doctor may or may not be detailed on the box, do you collect the drugs in person, or is it from a pharmacy or dispensary. You need the prescribing doctors name!! diazepam is Prescription Only, and therefore it has to have a prescription. Remind the prescribing doctor of their duty of care and that you do not accept any referral and that they created the problem and it is their problem to fix.

The strange situation is that the acceptance of a drug is subject to informed consent, and therefore discontinuance of a drug is also subject to informed consent even more so if the proposed drug tapering regime is questionable medically.

rant/
Benzodiazepines were never great things, but now they are regarded as the spawn of the devil to be exorcised from the (totally disfunctional) NHS. The crazy thing is that maintaining and tapering is cheaper than dealing with people turning up in casualty with seizures.
It should never have to be like this, the current NHS is disfuctional, it is guarded by incompetent gate keepers (GPs) and is overall shoddy, badly organized, hugely wastefull and almost never joined up. There are some great people working there but plenty more not so great people wasting oxygen
/rant
Click to expand...
Hi Noavevritas

I see my psych nurse tomorrow.
I will see what he has to say before I do anything.
I am going to bed now, but will read your post more thoroughly tomorrow as it deserves a decent reply.
I agree about tapering being cheaper than people turning up with seizures.
novaveritas said:
As a start you can write to your GP, stating the situation and your perception of their flat refusal to prescribe a short maintenance and sensible taper, write it in a way that forces them to either deny or confirm the situation in writing.
Email is useful because people are less guarded and careful in emails but they are just as powerful evidentially.

The best outcome is that the GP agrees to take over the prescription and taper it at an agreed rate which gives you security and control over your own health and medications. If their response is unsatisfactory then you have many options, you can choose all or none of them,

you don't need to go down the solicitor legal route, you just need to make it clear that you know what their duties and obligations are and that you will go that route if necessary. Doctors fear lawyers.

Complain through the NHS:
Go and talk to NHS complaints advocacy. search online for them there will be a service provided by the local authority.

You can complain to the NHS commissioner of services, I would strongly advise that you get as much evidence in writing (in your own possession) as possible before making a formal complaint, because your GP will duck and dive and if it comes down to a he said she said kind of argument without corroborating evidence then it will be swept under the carpet. If the GP has a blanket policy, not driven by or considering patient needs, then they are in breach of their NHS service provision contract. They also deserve to be taken down for breaching their oath.

Move
You are also entitled to change GP. Likewise you are entitled to independently see a private doctor and not tell your GP, this will cost for the private consultation and any prescription will cost too but you are not obliged to tell anyone and the private doctor is forbidden to share information without your permission.

Trap the current prescriber:
proving the prescription and identifying the prescribing doctor. go for them instead of the GP..
The box will show the prescription details, more importantly a doctor will have had to prescribed that drug, he or she is bound by duty of care as soon as they make that prescription. the prescribing doctor may or may not be detailed on the box, do you collect the drugs in person, or is it from a pharmacy or dispensary. You need the prescribing doctors name!! diazepam is Prescription Only, and therefore it has to have a prescription. Remind the prescribing doctor of their duty of care and that you do not accept any referral and that they created the problem and it is their problem to fix.

The strange situation is that the acceptance of a drug is subject to informed consent, and therefore discontinuance of a drug is also subject to informed consent even more so if the proposed drug tapering regime is questionable medically.

good luck! do not show any mercy, get them where you have control again, and if you get to a situation where it is working for you do not show any mercy or any weakness, the current system is not co-operative it is adversarial and
the squeaky wheel gets oiled.

rant/
Benzodiazepines were never great things, but now they are regarded as the spawn of the devil to be exorcised from the (totally disfunctional) NHS. The crazy thing is that maintaining and tapering is cheaper than dealing with people turning up in casualty with seizures.
It should never have to be like this, the current NHS is disfuctional, it is guarded by incompetent gate keepers (GPs) and is overall shoddy, badly organized, hugely wastefull and almost never joined up. There are some great people working there but plenty more not so great people wasting oxygen
/rant
Click to expand...
Hi
As promised here is my post after seeing my psych nurse.
I said that I was concerned about being sent to a drug agency and cited some cases of failed benzo tapers that I knew of.
I mentioned that maybe my psych could continue prescribing even if I was no longer part of the service.
I told him that my GP surgery don't prescribe benzos and refer patients to drug agencies and was concerned about interruption in supply.
i said in the nicest way possible that stopping my prescription would be breaching the law of informed consent.
I said it would be good if I could have reassurance in writing that my supply would not be interrupted and that I could taper at my own rate.
I said I didnt want to stay on the same dose a long time, and wanted to cut safely.
He said the discharge process is not a quick thing and that he would talk to his manager and the psychiatrist.
I am getting my next supply next Thursday.
The supply after that is due on 4th Jan and i expressed concern about christmas disruption, but he gave me the number of the psych hospital and said I could phone a couple of days early, as the psych said he liked me to phone 10 days before it was due.
So, it's just a case of waiting, I will be seeing him next week and hopefully he will have some good news.
As for private doctors, thanks for the idea, I did ring one a year or so ago, but he said he couldnt prescribe. Thanks for the idea though.
 
The free NHS local drug service is awful. I'm down south and they called my Dr and told her to stop my codeine script which they did 10 years ago and have not prescribed me anything since. It was the pain management clinic that was prescribing the codeines via the gp anyway.
U will have to find other methods to get hold of it.
It's disgusting.
I feel for you

There's a good private clinic in London I go to . It's in Belgravia.
 
Requiem4adream said:
The free NHS local drug service is awful. I'm down south and they called my Dr and told her to stop my codeine script which they did 10 years ago and have not prescribed me anything since. It was the pain management clinic that was prescribing the codeines via the gp anyway.
U will have to find other methods to get hold of it.
It's disgusting.
I feel for you
Click to expand...
I'm in the South of England also.
It's ludicrous they stopped your codeine script, especially as you were prescribed it for legitimate reasons.
I wouldn't have the first clue about getting hold of valium illicitly.
How does anyone buying illicit valium know that it is valium and not some poison?
 
3dmusic said:
I'm in the South of England also.
It's ludicrous they stopped your codeine script, especially as you were prescribed it for legitimate reasons.
I wouldn't have the first clue about getting hold of valium illicitly.
How does anyone buying illicit valium know that it is valium and not some poison?
Click to expand...
I know. That's what puts me off. I'm lucky as so called weak opiods r legal to buy online with a online Dr consultation.
People do though
The more time I have spent with medical professionals the more they drive me underground or alone
 
Requiem4adream said:
I know. That's what puts me off. I'm lucky as so called weak opiods r legal to buy online with a online Dr consultation.
People do though
The more time I have spent with medical professionals the more they drive me underground or alone
Click to expand...
Hi what do you mean exactly when you say underground or alone? That sounds scary.
 
LoginNotSecure said:
Methadone management treatment.
Click to expand...
StoneHappyMonday said:
It’s methadone maintenance treatment. Not management. Maintenance is a crucial word, as it implies long term prescription of methadone.

Seems like a strange mistake for a doctor to make? Or maybe not eh?

OP if your current prescription is legitimate you certainly have a good case for it not to be suddenly halted, which could cause proper damage to you. Unfortunately you are also caught up in the politics of the day which is reverting more and more to ‘just say no’, abstinence, and away from harm reduction.

Don’t give up, follow the good advice laid out here by some. But be prepared to have to fight your case. It certainly is not inevitable that your script will be stopped.
Click to expand...


Sounds like you've been outed LINS... 🤣
 
3dmusic said:
Hi what do you mean exactly when you say underground or alone? That sounds scary.
Click to expand...
Oh sorry I just mean that personally I stopped bothering with the gp as he said I was wasting his time! I stopped using the local services as they cut me off! I could no longer get life insurance cos of my GP files.
Until I went to a private clinic in London , I never felt heard.
I've had to find other ways to help myself as my free NHS services were useless.
 
F.U.B.A.R. said:
Many apologies, that was an off topic post. 'LINS' is just an acronym for the member 'LoginNotSecure' who claims to be a doctor but has just given the wrong definition of 'MMT', thus outing himself as a charlatan... :LOL:
Click to expand...
No problems thanks
 
F.U.B.A.R. said:
Sounds like you've been outed LINS... 🤣
Click to expand...

:unsure:

I'd never call it "maintenance" that would imply you're going to get a continuation of the service/medication. From me, you'd get a reduction (within guidelines/trust/circumstances) and if you weren't happy with that. I'd refer you to the drug and alcohol team/DTP, who will reduce you regardless. I will always call it management. You MANAGE the reduction, you don't MAINTAIN it. Don't like it, have a circle jerk, get reduced anyway.

It's win/win either way for the NHS/DTP's on the whole. Those that want to get clean, will stick at it, those that don't / "can't", get kicked off, back to using illicitly.

Certain ways around it of course, especially if you can pay for treatment privately. But then I'd hazard a guess that most people seeking methadone "management", can't afford to be treated privately.
 
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