Need help finding a new PCP

[LilyLady]

Originally Posted by VA Yankee

If your going to be a smart alec to people I doubt you will get any positive responses....

Exactly.

VA uses a statewide prescription monitoring database to help prevent doctor-shopping as a way to get pain meds. I just can't remember the exact name of it.

EDITED TO ADD: http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/dhp_prog...p/pmp_desc.asp

[Dan_in_DC]

Okay, NoahCat, so let's see if maybe we can help you find a solution to your problem ...

In your first posting in this thread, you had requested:

Originally Posted by noahcat7206

Can anyone recommend a good pcp that will not be stingy with pain meds since I've been in several car accidents in the past and I have horrendous back pain as a result of it every single day? Also I need one that accepts anthem healthkeepers plus and i live on chesterfield va but anything in richmond is fine too. thanks!

Since I have used Anthem for years and know a little about them, I told you exactly how to find what you need in post #7 in this thread. But apparently that was too much trouble for you, and you want everyone else to do your thinking for you. So you replied with this smartass answer:

Originally Posted by noahcat7206

... I want a doctor that someone on here knows of because looking through a book of names does nothing. I don't know if they're good for me. That's why I want recommendations! Duh!

Yes, and I certainly understand such concerns, or I wouldn't have bothered replying to your question in the first place. However ...

If you have to have a Doctor who accepts a particular Anthem plan, the fastest and most effective way is to contact Anthem's Customer Service Office. Most of the people I've talked to there seem to be reasonably intelligent, and talking to them beats the hell out of "looking through a book of names."

Duh!

But whether you talk to someone at Anthem's Customer Service, or whether you search the Anthem database (or a combination of the two), you will want to:

a) Look for a nearby Doctor with a subspecialty of "pain management" (if that is what you need);

b) Make sure the Doctor IS currently accepting new patients;

c) Make sure the Doctor DOES currently accept your specific health care plan.

(I didn't think it was necessary to even mention those points, but apparently it IS.)

NEXT: When you think you may have found one (or more) Doctors who will best meet your needs, the next step would be to look for "reviews" or "ratings" online from the various consumer websites you Googled, and read what the Doctor's recent patients thought about the services they received.

In reading such reviews, you need to always keep in mind that not all such reviews are "reasoned" OR "objective" ... because you are reading the opinions of other people, many of whom may have their own axe to grind. However, such reviews may be helpful to you in getting a better idea of whether a particular Doctor may be good for you.

Most of us who participate in these Forums are NOT natural telepaths. Obviously, we can't know your precise "needs" if you are unable (or unwilling) to explain those needs in sufficient detail.

Here's a link to an article from the Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star about a Doc who was very "liberal" when he prescribed pain meds. Although Dr. Mauroner is not in your area, you should read this:
http://news.fredericksburg.com/rapidassessment/2012/04/24/series-of-violations-leads-to-disciplinary-action-against-fauquier-physician/

Having read that, you also need to be aware that while a Doctor such as Mauroner may get reprimanded and risk having his license to practice medicine suspended -- or seriously restricted -- there is probably minimal risk that he will go to prison.

However, a far worse fate may befall such a Doctor's "patients" who procure through such a Doctor (or series of Doctors) what the Commonwealth may deem to be an "excessive" quantity of painkillers within a specific time period. And the Commonwealth can find out damned quickly.

Now go back and read LilyLady's posting #11 in this thread, follow that link, and learn about Virginia's Prescription Monitoring Program.

And now, armed with all the additional knowledge you have acquired through careful reading of the various articles described above, I'm sure that you are in much better position to go find yourself a pain management specialist whom you are confident will best meet your needs.

From the way you had expressed your initial question though, many readers might have had trouble determining whether your alleged back pain was real, or whether you were just another wannabe dope dealer looking for tips of new sources of supply.

(So you really should try to be careful in monitoring how you express yourself.)

Best of luck in finding a good Doctor.
Dan

P.S. Most "Pain Management Specialists" are Specialists, and most are NOT likely to also be willing to serve as Primary Care Physicians (PCP), although a very few may.

[cry_havoc]

Originally Posted by noahcat7206

Can anyone recommend a good pcp that will not be stingy with pain meds since I've been in several car accidents in the past and I have horrendous back pain as a result of it every single day? Also I need one that accepts anthem healthkeepers plus and i live on chesterfield va but anything in richmond is fine too. thanks!

Head to SE DC. It is full of PCP and the locals could probably answer your questions better than posters on this board.