This is exactly it. My pain management doc and I have conversations periodically about how bad it's gotten on both sides of the prescription. She has so much more paperwork she has to do to be able to prescribe pain meds, along with all the extra stuff we patients have to deal with.

This year they changed the way prescriptions are filled at the beginning of the year; opioids are only filled for a five day prescription no matter how long you've been taking them. I do mail order because my local pharmacies just pretty much refuse to fill them anymore so I have to make the first script last longer so that my doc can call in a new prescription and it has time to get mailed to me. That helps no one.

We also have to have a(n expensive) prescription for Narcan or many pharmacies won't give you your pain meds, even with no history of abuse. Drug tests at least four times a year to make sure we're taking our meds properly and not selling them but also to make sure we're only taking what we're supposed to be taking. Our doc can also require us to bring our prescription bottles in so the pills can be counted to ensure we're taking them properly.

I used to get my scripts filled for 90 days, with no copay, since I do mail order but last year that changed so now it's only 30 days with a copay every month. Not a huge deal but when you're disabled on a very fixed income that adds up.

I deal with chronic pain which is why I take Oxycodone and it's the only thing that helps so that I can be halfway functional. I still have pain but it's being managed and that's all I can ask for, I just wish I didn't have to deal with so much bullshit and, to be honest, I wish my doc didn't either.