My wife has had some significant back problems and recent spinal surgery. We just sold our camper and purchased a class A to do some extended traveling. She had a difficult time getting in and out of the camper and the MH is just wonderful.She is on two pain medicines both of which are are classified as Schedule 2 (II) Drugs by the Controlled Substances Act and she will be on them for some time to come. Both her local pain doctor as well as her local GP, are wonderful physicians and say that they can only prescribe Schedule 2 (II) Drugs every 30 days. Therefore there are no 60 or 90 day prescriptions being allowed by the Feds, and she will have to physically meet with her doctors in order to get her 30 day prescriptions filled. The doctor cannot just call the pharmacy any longer.So basically, it appears that any motorhome trips will require us to come back home every 30 days to see her prescribing physician.Is this affecting anyone else.... and is there anyway to work around these new Federal limitations.Thanks

My doc writes the scripts and dates them don't not fill till such and such date. Then I can get by for two or three months

My wife was on narcotics on several of our trips. She had 30 day prescriptions. We used Walmart to get the drugs. All we had to do was find one of their locations a few days out, order the drugs on line, Walmart would send the refill request to the Doc and he would send the prescriptions. No problems!

The 'scripts can be written for only 30 days each, but is it THE LAW that she see her physician that frequently? Or is it just the requirement of that specific doctor?If the latter, I might consider changing healthcare providers.

GMandJM wrote:The 'scripts can be written for only 30 days each, but is it THE LAW that she see her physician that frequently? Or is it just the requirement of that specific doctor?If the latter, I might consider changing healthcare providers. I haven't actually read it, but it is supposed to be part of the new law. I will keep my opinion of it to myself. Jim

Son picks up and mails them to us care of a Post Office along our route. We find small town Post Office along our route and call ahead ask the postmaster to hold for Pick up.We use priority mail and track when it arrives at post office and pick up that day or next.

New Federal Restrictions on Pain Medicine Prescriptions

rkentzel
Explorer
Aug 14, 2015
My doc writes the scripts and dates them don't not fill till such and such date. Then I can get by for two or three months
enblethen
Nomad
Aug 14, 2015
My wife was on narcotics on several of our trips. She had 30 day prescriptions. We used Walmart to get the drugs. All we had to do was find one of their locations a few days out, order the drugs on line, Walmart would send the refill request to the Doc and he would send the prescriptions. No problems!
GMandJM
Explorer
Aug 14, 2015
The 'scripts can be written for only 30 days each, but is it THE LAW that she see her physician that frequently? Or is it just the requirement of that specific doctor?

If the latter, I might consider changing healthcare providers.
OkSixpack
Explorer
Aug 14, 2015
GMandJM wrote:
The 'scripts can be written for only 30 days each, but is it THE LAW that she see her physician that frequently? Or is it just the requirement of that specific doctor?

If the latter, I might consider changing healthcare providers.

I haven't actually read it, but it is supposed to be part of the new law. I will keep my opinion of it to myself.
Jim
darsben
Explorer II
Aug 15, 2015
Son picks up and mails them to us care of a Post Office along our route. We find small town Post Office along our route and call ahead ask the postmaster to hold for Pick up.
We use priority mail and track when it arrives at post office and pick up that day or next.
tsetsaf
Explorer III
Aug 15, 2015
Know of a fulltimer that has to drive all the way back to Il every month for similar. ACA and other healthcare related laws are becoming the biggest hurdle to FT rving.
GMandJM
Explorer
Aug 15, 2015
That's just sad.
puttd
Explorer
Aug 15, 2015
Seems to me that at some point Escapees or some other RV advocacy group ought to file a class action that in totality the regulations impose an undue burden on the right to interstate travel. One class of citizens is only allowed to travel for max thirty days.
dan-nickie
Explorer
Aug 15, 2015
Here is a good link that describes the new Class 2 rules
Consumer Reports on new prescriptions rules

DW doctor writes 3 postdated scripts as mentioned above and found in the link.

In addition, refills are not allowed with Schedule II drugs and many states and insurance companies only allow you to get up to a month’s worth on a single prescription. But your doctor can write multiple prescriptions for a total of up to 90 days worth—for example, three 30-day prescriptions—with instructions to the pharmacist to fill them sequentially. If you need to take the drug for longer than three months, though, you’ll need to go back to your doctor for another prescription.

If your doctor will not do this, it is not the feds regulations but your doctor's own policy.
Did you have a frank talk to your doctor specifically addressing travel?
Naio
Explorer II
Aug 15, 2015
This will depend very much on your relationship with your doctor and what you consider ethical (personally I think it is unethical to make or follow a law that discriminates against people with medical conditions), but you could ask your doctor about prescribing a higher dose than you actually need. For example, prescribe 4 pills a day when you only need 2. That way one bottle will last you two months.