MACS wrote:I think many would just give you a refill over the phone.
That would be a felony here, despite true need. Period.
The only two ways around it are for the doctor to prescribe 3-4x what you really need and to use less than what the bottle says by agreement with your surgeon to stretch out the length of time of use. They can also prescribe like 4mg of dilauded that you split into 2mg doses to make the meds last longer. The other alternative is to be under the care of a pain management specialist for a long time( 1-2 years) BEFORE surgery.
To make matters worse, my board certified anesthesiologist/pain management doc is limited to a small number of patients who he can prescribe narcotics for by state law, despite being 100% legitimate. He may even have to kick someone else in need off his list to get me what I **might** need. Most thankfully, we are friends, which might help.
Almost all shoulder surgeries (except for total replacements which are rarely performed) vs. posterior cervical fusion with rods, brackets and screws are entirely different things pain-wise. My mom ( 83 yrs. old) just had shoulder surgery and did not need any pain meds after the second day.
The two are incomparable. Believe me, I have been there.