Internal Medicine Clinic has specific policies regarding the medical care of patients being treated with narcotic pain medication and other controlled substances. These policies also relate to how we manage the dispensing of prescriptions for these medications. State and federal guidelines require us, as a medical care provider, to have the following policies for the prescribing of controlled substances. Your health and well-being are of utmost concern to us and these policies are important for us to ensure that you receive the best care possible.
Requests for Pain Medication
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Any patient requesting pain medications from our provider must do so during a face-to-face appointment. No refills or changes in prescriptions of a controlled substance will be considered via telephone call, email, or any other mode of communication. We will make every effort to find an appointment with one of our providers as soon as possible, but this appointment may not be with your primary provider. Please make an appointment before your prescription runs out.
Drug Screening
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From time to time, we may request a urine drug screen. The urine screening is a part of the treatment of your pain with narcotic medications. The drug screening will confirm that you are taking the medications as prescribed and help us safely treat you. These tests may show the presence of other medications or illegal drugs that a person may not usually report to their physician.
Please understand that these tests are for your own safety and for public safety. Our providers use urine drug screenings as part of a quality oversight program.
We know these tests can be costly. The final cost to you for these tests will depend on your insurance. The price of this test and your insurance coverage are outside your provider's control. We want to do everything we can to keep your out-of-pocket healthcare costs low while protecting your health and safety.
Stable Prescriptions
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In general, your primary care physician will handle your stable prescriptions. Stable prescriptions are prescriptions that are not changing or being adjusted by a specialist. Your providers at Internal Medicine Clinic will work closely with your primary care physician to establish a treatment that will work best for you. If, under unusual circumstances, your condition requires ongoing management, regular appointments will be required. These regular appointments will allow your provider to assess your response to treatment, make any necessary adjustments, and provide prescriptions for medications.
Questions or Concerns
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If you have any questions about these policies, please ask your care provider during your next visit.