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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Medical Records

V

VaxilRae

Greenlighter
Joined
Nov 10, 2014
Messages
1
Ok, first I am new and have a basic question about my friend. Sorry if this is in the wrong area.

He was a previous opiate abuser, went to rehab, got clean - and returned to his pain doctor who prescribed him tramadol. Obviously his pain doctor does not know about the previous abuse or rehab or else the doctor would refuse to treat him. Than he relapsed and went into a PHP therapy program at a local hospital. He is terrified his pain doctor might find out about his being there and not treat him any longer. He did not sign a release for his medical records either time in rehab. What are the chances of his PD finding out? Also he is drug tested at the PHP program and is not taking his tramadol in fear of the hospital alerting his PD even when the hospital has no written release, nor name of the doctor. In short, what are the rules of medical record releasing in the case of drug abuse?
 
I'll answer this as I have a lot of experience in this field.

Short Answer: As long as your friend never gave permission to send records to pain doc, never said he wanted them sent to pain doc, OR signed no release form for records to be sent to pain doc then his pain doc won't get his medical records. You actually have to list who you want to get your med records and sign the release form. So unless his pain doc works at the same hospital(s) where he did rehab, he won't know about his past abuse or any of that stuff that went on. Pretty weird but thank HIPPA.
 
I can only offer advice as to something that happened to me after rehab.

I went to rehab because I was havibg a complete breakdown a few years after my son was murdered. The guy who murdered him got a PCR and after being given life w/o parole, his sentence was reduced to 20 yrs.

I went to rehab, was treated with suboxone, which was ordered from a chain pharmacy in that town. I didn't think much of it, but it came back to haunt me later.

About 8-9 months after getting out of rehab and continuing with therapy, I had major surgery. Afterward, I was refered to pain management. As soon as the PMD pulled up my pharmacy record he refused to write me because it showed in system I was rx suboxone earlier that year.

Even after I told him what happened, he sympathized with my toddler son's murder/situation, but couldn't see me. I thought it was BS!

I decided not to see another Dr. for a long time, and by then they couldn't trace the suboxone past. I use a mom/pop pharmacy now.

Back when I went to rehab, I had a clean Dr. record...no drug seeking activities, no flags, just got on pain meds/rl stress, so the rehab therapy helped.

That's just my advice. It may show up for you, it may not.
 
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Liliko, that is horrible! It is true that you must give your med records to the pain doc initially because they need a reason to prescribe opiates. Basically it's to cover their ass when the DEA comes snooping. But once they have initial records then that's it. They will see no more unless you sign that release form. By the way, you should ha e tried another pain doc. Sounds like you got some moron the first time. Suboxone is a schedule 3 last I checked. . .shouldnt have been an issue at all.
 
JustADudeYep said:
Liliko, that is horrible! It is true that you must give your med records to the pain doc initially because they need a reason to prescribe opiates. Basically it's to cover their ass when the DEA comes snooping. But once they have initial records then that's it. They will see no more unless you sign that release form. By the way, you should ha e tried another pain doc. Sounds like you got some moron the first time. Suboxone is a schedule 3 last I checked. . .shouldnt have been an issue at all.
Click to expand...

I have a awesome PM Dr. now and your'e right, shouldn't have been an issue, but it was. It was explained to me that once suboxone/methadone is logged on your pharmacy record in my state, a Dr. can view it as you're a former addict, abused your meds, etc. and that wasn't the case. The rehabI went to was amazing with a great therapist to help with grief/underlying issues. But once that chain pharmacy flagged that suboxone, I couldn't get a script anywhere for almost a year.

That's why I advised this OP about their medical records/privacy. Even though laws protect our privacy, a pharmacy can do what they want.

Hugs
 
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