Can Doctors issue a repeat script for controlled drugs?

[Mr Blonde]

say 'Like Ants' because doctors have the power over politicians but don't seem to realise it. Just as ants out number humans and grasshoppers.

Yes, but ants are very easily destroyed by humans, aren't they?

Seriously though, can you explain what you meant by doctors having power over politicians? Through the laws that we have, doctors who prescribe large amounts of pain medication, whether legitimately or not-so-legit, may have their license to practice taken away and could even be charged. What power do doctors have over politics? As far as I'm aware of the situation in the health sector in Australia at the moment, they're probably too swamped to have the time to try and change the laws.

 

[norco10]

Mmmm... "Have I ever heard of anaphylactic shock?..." Why yes, I have- I've even treated it... Tends to be quickish on onset, doesn't it...? Fair to say quicker than 6 hours? Yup.
The fact that you say she was on dilaudid for 2 month rather proves a tolerance for opiates, wouldn't you say?
As for your brother, well, we have narcan for cowboys like that. If a UK or Australian paramedic gave prehospital opiates like that without medical oversight, they soon be driving buses rather than ambulances...

you should not comment on the American paramedic system when you have no experience with it. The paramedics can give 6mg iv morphine BUT THEY ARE IN RADIO contact with the er docs and if some one is going into shock due to pain and there is a chance of death from shock the paramedics will get ok from doc for a 200mcg push on the way. No need to get snippy

[EDIT: Let's not debate America hoptis]

 

[drplatypus]

Worked six months trauma surgery in Shock Trauma in Baltimore, old chap. And pain does not cause 'shock'- pain causes tachycardia (high heart rates) and HYPERtension (raised blood pressure). Infrequently, patients can have a vagal discharge secondary to pain, with the heart rate dropping precipitously and a associated drop in blood pressure. 'Shock' or the inadequate perfusion of a tissue bed, is a relative contraindication to opiate administration- on any continent...

[Big fan of America, generally- less impressed with American politics- just for clarification purposes, Hoptis!]

 

[Frank Zito]

Sorry!!! Didn't notice that this was from Down Under!!!

 

[ilikeacid]

Just rq on this subject, I have spondylolisthesis (slipped disc and trapped nerve in lower back) and am currently taking valium and Tramal. My doctor will not give me repeats on either of these due to the high dependency and tolerance levels.

Watch out with the Tramal. The reason I posted this thread in the first place was out of curiosity over the amounts of Oxy's my doc could perscribe me after I fractured my spine after a seizure caused by the consumption of 200mg of tramal over 12hrs..

Never touching that stuff again... one seizure is enough for me to never go back.

With the oxy's I was perscribed 10mg oxycotin for daytime and 20mg for night time. I am seeking one repeat because of continued pain which I am sure I will get.

 

[djsim]

in the other oxycontin thread someone asks why ocycontin is not as prevalent here as in the usa... simple answer: because doctors are more careful in their prescribing of controlled drugs, and because dr shoppers are caught out when the authority goes thru to Canberra.
Also, the dr who prescribed all that stuff (norco10's post)... it seems pretty over the top, though I'm not a qualified dr yet. He's worried about drug seeking behaviour, but then writes scripts for every opiate under the sun. If it was a drug seeking patient they'd have probably OD'd and he'd be in deep shit. If I was in a position of power there's now way I'd be writing questionable scripts just so I can "stick it to the system / the man". The fact is we live in a society run by governments who are misinformed and scared of these 'hard drugs'. If you think you'll beat them by prescribing whatever you want because it's your right, you'll soon find yourself before a committee explaing why your license whouldn't be revoked. I remeber a pharmacist who gave out a prescription to a patient he'd known very well for 10 years... RX was for dexamphetamine, but the script had to be written (it was coming early the next week). The authorities came thru on a random inspection and he lost his license.
There's no room for error when prescribing drugs of addiction.

 

[Wasted_Youth_HHT]

For me when i used to get Oxy contin scripts the doctor said she could only give ya that and no repeats and hadda call for authorisation each time. Then the cunts sent her a letter saying stop dispensing OXY contins to me cause i was on methadone too and i could be selling the oxys. Fuckers. With Any sleepers or benzo's she sometimes puts repeats but always puts a date down that the next can be dispensed. Its fucked

 

[Christ!]

For me when i used to get Oxy contin scripts the doctor said she could only give ya that and no repeats and hadda call for authorisation each time. Then the cunts sent her a letter saying stop dispensing OXY contins to me cause i was on methadone too and i could be selling the oxys. Fuckers. With Any sleepers or benzo's she sometimes puts repeats but always puts a date down that the next can be dispensed. Its fucked

I got prescribed oxycontin when I was coming off an opiate habit. It was working great and I was reducing my dose quickly and 'comfortably'. Then my doc. got a letter from Canberra saying that oxys shouldn't be prescribed for this purpose. Now I've got a lovely bupe addiction.

 

[Jabberwocky]

i've had mixed results in respect to different doctors and different medications in relation to script repeats and fillings.

when i first was precribed tramadol i would get 6 months worth of repeats, this went on for a matter of nearly a year. that dr left and i sought out a new one, who on top prescribed me temazepam as well for a period as well.

this new guy would give me 3 months worth of tramadol and a months of temaze.

soon after he'd left and i'd been put onto valium by then accompanied by the tramadol. this guy would then only give me one months supply of tramadol along with the valium. this was a bit of an inconvenience, living out of town a bit with no license and having to go through withdrawals at time.

luckily enough i found the doctor again who gave me 6 months worth of tramadol, again, with the diazepam (this guy would also give me a script of valium a week with no questions asked).

i then moved onto another doctor who started me on buprenorphine patches along with the valium still. the thing being the patches are only a 2 week supply of which i never get repeats of, i have to see him or ring in to get them to fax through the script to the pharmacy. i'm pretty certain it's not possible to get, say, a couple months script of it but im pretty certain there is circumstances where they ring up the drug board admissions or whatever it is (they had to for me when i started on tramadol and with the repeats). mainly being a controlled substance im assuming plus among other factors.

thats my experience

 

[Jabberwocky]

The number specified on the PBS website is the maximum number of repeats you are allowed to have to for PBS to subsidize the cost. It does NOT represent the maximum number of repeats allowed.

If you dig through Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulation 2006, regulation 26 (3)(h) basically says that doctor can issue as many repeats as they want!

For example: You bring in a script for OXYCODONE (20 tabs) and has 1 repeat, legally your doctor can do this but you're ganna have to pay the full price for both supplies. If you doctor wrote a script for no repeats then you are allowed to use your medicare and healthcare cards for a the lower price. Another thing is so doctors can check on you and you comming back to get another script = more money for them =P

yep, thats pretty much my experience. though when the doctor was giving me repeats, he had to get the authorisation before being able to hand me the extra scripts