I am SICK of seeing people lying to others on here about finding a pain clinic in florida to take care of yuor needs.

First off before i say anything else. I am posting this for those who are truly suffering in other states and can not find a Dr who actually gives a damn about anyone but him or her self.

GO to google and type in south florida pain clinic. There are MANY. Exuctive pain in broward country being one who is very understanding. yes, many of these clinics do ON SITE MRI's for you.Many if not most have in house pharmacy to fill the scripts. You are looking at $180.00 office visit, $200.00 MRI and anywhere from $500.00-$1000.00 to get your script filled. A script of 60 Oxy 80's is going to cost somehwere around $950.00

Just go and be truthful and put your faith in god to take care of your pain. Those of you on here that keep belitting others and or lying to people saying they can't find help in florida anymore. GO TO HELL. Who are you to pass judgement on ANYONE? Mind your own damn buisness and keep your mouth shut if you do not like the topic at hand.

those of you/us that are in REAL pain. There is hope for you. Even if you must drive a thousand miles to get your script. It is worth it to live life happy and pain free.Do not pay attention to smart mouth people who look to pass judgement on you or look down on you. They clearly hate themselves or their own life or they would not be so quick to try and make others feel bad about themselves.

God bless and thank you florida for allowing many of us in th union to have a place to come to to be able to live pain free. it means more than you know. Yes, there are a lot of addicts and drug dealers who abuse the system but nothing is perfect and I would prefer to see 10 good honest caring americans find pain reliefe and allow 5 worthless drug dealers to make money than I would prevent the 5 dealers from making money and forcing those 10 good people to suffer and live a miserable life.

Find yourself a clinic and be thankful.Don't abuse it and be humble.

Good Luck to all.

Intersting first post.Most on here have chronic pain conditions and I already have a doc that takes care of my needs.

I'm glad that you do, but many people do not.

I agree with the poster. I can't figure out why people who are in chronic pain don't drive... or better, fly to Southeastern Florida. The off-season is approaching in Florida, so depending upon where you live, you might be able to find good prices on airfare.

I honestly don't know why people who complain about having great difficulty obtaining pain medication, or others who are apparently willing to pay a lot of money to online pharmacies, many of which do not seem trustworthy to me when I look at their sites out of curiosity. This is not to mention the fact that it's illegal.

Unless you're going to Florida in an attempt to purchase large quantities of drugs for resale, or something of that nature, you aren't doing anything illegal, and you'll get a lot more medication for a heck of a lot less money (especially if you don't have insurance).

South Florida pain centers are principally located in Dade County (as in the general vicinity of Miami), Broward County (Fort Lauderdale, and in many other nearby cities, and Palm Beach County (immediately north of Broward County, and includes places like Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, and West Palm Beach).

There are so many pain clinics in these counties (hundreds, literally), that it has unfortunately caught the attention of many who don't like them. In Broward County, there is a criminal probe into them, which is why you'll find many more in Palm Beach County than you used to. Laws are in the process of being passed (or already have, but won't go into effect until around a year that might have the effect of making it significantly more difficult to obtain medication management in the future. That's a huge reason to go.

It should also be noted that many places not only deal with pain management, but also with ADD (as in Adderall), weight management, anxiety (although prescriptions for alprazolam are generally also provided to people who go for pain management), steroids, and even detox (Suboxone). In fact, most pain management clinics also practice detox.

I am temporarily residing in the area. I haven't visited this forum in a while, nor have I searched for what people have posted about them. One thing I would suggest is that you are much more likely to get accurate information about them from someone like me, who is in the area.

First, it should be noted that there is currently a great deal of competition among pain management centers, because there are so many.

Many pain clinics advertise in free newspapers like New Times. New Times has a website, that you can go to. Many, but not all, of these ads can be viewed there for anybody who wants to see them.

Many of the ads offer specials for new customers. Some clinics even offer a free first visit (while others just offer reduced prices). Before you go to one of these places, you should read the fine print on the coupon. Some clinics only offer a free visit or reduced prices if you purchase your prescriptions on site (at the clinic itself). Prices vary widely from clinic to clinic, but I don't think there's a single one that isn't several times the price of what you would pay at a chain drugstore -- or even at a mom and pop store. And the vast majority of pain management clinics don't accept insurance (under Florida law, if a clinic does not accept insurance, it is subject to no or little regulatory oversight). Even at clinics that have relatively reasonable prices on some drugs, like carisoprodol (Soma) and alprazolam (Xanax), you can still get a better deal at a pharmacy. For example, one clinic, formerly known as Coastal Pain Management, in Pompano Beach (I forget the new name) sells carisoprodol (Soma) for 30 cents a pill, and (Activs / Purepac Brand) alprazolam (Xanax) for 35 cents a ill. Those prices aren't terrible -- if the doctor there (F. Martinez, M.D.) writes a prescription for 60 carisoprodol tablets, and you choose to fill the prescription on-site, you'd pay $18.00 for the prescription. That's about as close as you can get to an average pharmacy price, although the same prescription should cost only about $10 at a Target Pharmacy, and you can get free prescription DISCOUNT cards that lower the prices to around that level at other pharmacies as well.

Before I forget!!! The answer to another poster's question about why many NROP's, like Friendly Clinic, don't ship carisoprodol (Soma) to Florida is because even though the drug isn't federally controlled, it IS controlled under Florida state law.

But, getting back to prices, the cost to fill a prescription for oxycodone 30 mg. immediate-release tablets is around $3.00 a pill. And, compared to other clinics, that's actually reasonable. The drug is also expensive in most pharmacies, and there was a shortage a while ago wherein it seemed that all clinics were able to obtain the medication, but pharmacies couldn't seem to. That didn't help the price. Still, if you go to aviapartners, a dot com website, you can get a free DISCOUNT card. With that card, the cost for a prescription for 90 tablets is only a little over $50. In Florida, oxycodone immediate release tablets are apparently a very popular "street drug" (they're know as "Roxi's" -- short for the brand name Roxicodone). I don't want to dwell on clinic prices much more, but to give you an idea about how much some charge, one clinic (see browarddoc, a dot com site) charges $75 for 60 tablets.

Clinics can vary a great deal in appearance (more so than most of their patients, who look like -- how shall I put this without sounding offensive -- ... OK, I can't think of another word, junkies. Some are stores in strip malls. Others are in non-retail plazas. Others are in regular doctor's offices, sometimes in a medical building. Still more are free-standing stores on main roads, especially Commercial Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.

The requirements to be seen also vary. It's very common for clinics to insist on an MRI, and some won't accept one that's more than two years old. Others want pharmacy records printouts and / or prior medical records if you've been treated before. Some don't require this, but may ask for some sort of substantiation. The MRI might sound like the biggest problem if you don't have one -- but not to worry if you don't -- some clinics actually advertise a free MRI if you don't have one (some conditions, like filling on-site, may apply). Then there are places that advertise an MRI for roughly $200. I wouldn't worry too much about the results, though, believe me they will find something wrong. Finally, some clinics require a drug screen. Most don't require it on the first visit, and most also tell you a month in advance. Blood work may also be required by some clinics at some point.

Some of the clinics are doctor-owned, while others aren't (one of the things that people who want to get rid of clinics use as criticism). Of course, all prescriptions are written by licensed doctors (D.O.'s and M.D.'s), regardless of ownership. While there are many similarities in the policies of pain management clinics, there are also many differences. One of the biggest differences is that some clinics will only accept patients who have a Florida ID, while others will accept an ID or license from any state. However, a Florida state ID is very easy to get the same day you apply for it. If you decide to go to a Florida Pain Management Clinic, I would highly recommend getting a Florida ID, even though there are clinics that don't require it. There are many reasons for this. First of all, having one doesn't restrict you from going to the clinic of your choice, and secondly, the clinics that accept out-of-state licenses / ID's almost always charge significantly more to patients who don't have one.

This is getting really long. I think one very important thing that people may wish to know is what and how much of what is prescribed. This too varies, but going back to the clinic f/k/a Coast Pain Management in Pompano Beach, Dr. Martinez may prescribe, in a single visit, 120 80 mg OxyContin tablets, around 200 oxycodone 30 mg. tablets, 60 carisoprodol (Soma) tablets, and 30 alprazolam (Xanax) tablets. Once again, under Florida law, it is your choice to fill any or all of your prescriptions on-site or at a pharmacy. The average cost per visit after the initial promotion (if you have one) is between $90 to $200, with the average being around $150. And since these operations are very money-based, you can forget about trying to go every three months, or even every other month. A few clinics even operate on a 14-day cycle. While this greatly increases the cost as compared to pain management centers in other areas of the country where you can visit every three months (and pick up the prescriptions for other two months free of charge), I would think that it would still be worth it for those who are in a great deal of pain and can't get treatment. And if you're paying online pharmacy prices, you should definitely be motivated to go. Also, because you can usually get what I consider to be a large quantity of medication, the supply you receive might last you two months anyway. The largest supply I've ever heard about was a doctor who prescribed, among MANY, MANY other medications, including OxyFast, was 20 (yes, twenty) 80 mg. OxyContin tablets, taken three times a day (or 1,800 per month). But don't expect anywhere near that. Believe it or not, that doctor was disciplined, and his license was almost going to be suspended for a period of time (the doctor appealed that, though, and didn't have to serve a suspension). I mean, can you believe he was actually charged with over-prescribing? -- with all medications taken into account, it was only a few thousand pills a month.

I'll end here by STRONGLY SUGGESTING that people who are living in chronic pain because they can't obtain sufficient medication from any doctor in their area should GO TO FLORIDA!. Anyone is welcome to ask me additional information, and if I know the answer, I'll be happy to tell you.

I missed the news last nite but one of the stories was how they are raiding some of these clinics. I don't think they are going to last to much longer.

yes, they raided them but they do that just to get records and documentation. they are not going anywhere

I wish I could go to Florida. Where I live there are pain clinic's but you can not get your meds filled anywhere. I had to stop going because no place would fill them. I have MRI report's. But no way to get to Florida. I am tired of living in pain and there is nothing can be done about it. I don't use F2F. I wanted a local doctor. But that is not working out either.

Are you saying the drug stores where you live will not fill the prescriptions you were given by your pain management doctor?
Why do they refuse to fill them?
You can always send your scripts to a real online pharmacy like drugstore.com and they will mail them to you.
CVS, Walgreens, etc. will do the same with their online web sites.
Should be a lot easier than going to Florida to get a prescription filled.

If this person lives in Southern Ohio many Pharmacies have started to deny the fill of scripts from the PM Clinics in that area. In fact they have signs outside stating such. The counties has these establishments under investigation and even though a Dr may not have privilege's suspended, under the amended law of the county they will not fill. It has been on and off the news down there for the past year or so.

They continue to still see patients, script, and receive their fees, but know after one walks out the door most pharmacies will not fill. It is because of the Clinic, not the Dr.

I will do some research again and post the past news articles or vids from "News at 11". It is sad. I can not speak to the legal position that was implemented.

That is very unusual. Will these pharmacies not even order the prescription drugs for a patient with a prescription?
If not, I can't see why a mail order pharmacy would not fill them.
If the problem is with any scripts coming from individual shady pain clinics, it's hard to believe that the pharmacy board and state medical boards haven't gotten the doctors' prescribing privleges suspended.
Would like to see any public explanations about how this happened.
I can see how this would be an untenable situation for chronic pain patients living in the area.

No kidding. Bizarre. Look forward to seeing documentation/articles about this. I believe New4here of course, I would just like to see what kind of justification is given in the article.

A pharmacy who refuses scripts!What the hell are they doing for work,twiddling their thumbs! I have a good old school pharmacy at home for family and my non-government script needs. Lets say this situation really irks me. Their darn job is to verify script and sell the dog gone pills already!

Looking now, here is one pharmacy refusing and the news here did say the were driving to Columbus to fill now.

Tuesday Feb 9

How about what's in the PDT today.......
Part 1......
Lisa Roberts of the Portsmouth City Health Department recently pointed to records that show Scioto County ranked second among Ohio’s 88 counties in deaths caused by drug overdoses and other drug abuses.
Only Montgomery County, in the Dayton area, has more.
Now comes a report that Scioto County is on the U.S. drug Enforcement Administration’s watch list of the 10 most significant places in the nation for trafficking in illegal prescriptions for painkillers and other narcotics.
The illegal prescription drug trade is killing more Ohioans each year statewide, but the problem is worse in southern Ohio, administration officials said.
Barbara Howard of Portsmouth has experienced the problem in a heartbreaking way. Her daughter, Leslie Cooper, 34, died of an overdose in October.
“She got the prescription at a pain clinic in Wheelersburg. The pharmacists around here would not fill it. A lady who is, I suppose, called a ‘sponsor,’ paid for my daughter’s doctor visit, then took her to Columbus,” Howard said.“She got the prescription filled and gave the woman some of the pills. That was on Oct. 2. On Oct. 3, I got the call that my daughter was dead. She would have been 35 on the 20th of October.”

Another...

PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (WSAZ) -- Despite the troubling local Florida connection to Miami area pain pill mills, one local county with a growing pain pill problem is fighting back.

Scioto County Health Commissioner Dr. Aaron Adams said a local coroner's study shows a dramatic rise in overdose deaths from prescription painkillers. Furthermore, Scioto County's overdose death rate ranks second statewide to Montgomery County and the Dayton area.

Dr. Adams said the fact that local pharmacies refuse to fill these pain clinic prescriptions -- mainly because the clinic works on a cash-only basis with no health insurance and all the out-of-state customers -- highlights a countywide concern. Etc.....



Another..

Posted by: pharmacy worker on Dec 4, 2009 at 06:11 PM

I am tired of seeing RX's out of this clinic in Portsmouth from doctors that aren't even licensed in OHIO. If you are in that much pain why are you going to drive a long ways to get your meds filled? Nobody else will fill them? Hmmmmm I WONDER WHY!!!!! Somebody openly admitted to paying the doctor $100 to get this prescription for oxy after we refused to sell it. HELLO, somebody NEEDS to do something about this!


I am looking for old newscasts I did see. However it does state the Dr was not licensed. This has been going on for quit a few months and Pharms are not filling there.

I will look for the past newscasts. I don't know if it is relevant to the poster, but I have seen on the news pharms stating no fills from clinics.

OMG, I am getting REALLY ticked about this. Why are folks going to these clinics these holier-than-though reporters/pharmacists ask?

BECAUSE the regular PCPSs and PM docs are being harassed and will no longer script the meds necessary for their true CP patients.

Now I don't know who is lying and who is telling the truth on this board but what I do see are posts every day about folks who can no longer get their needed meds from current doctor and are looking for alternatives.

F2F is the most legal option and so that is what folks are choosing.

It is so sad that the same meds that help so many, are so addictive and deadly to those who are confused, lost, and perhaps suicidal.

I really wish there was some way to measure pain. That would solve so many problems.

Thanks N4H.

Meon, I truly have been sitting on the side here as all these reports come on every so often. I never knew of these clinics down south (I do live in Ohio) until last year when Sioto County started with the media. There is a county wide meeting here coming up to "banish" Pain Clinics all together sponsered by the Sheriff's office. What I am sort of confused by is that the members from WV or KY have not posted much on them as they have served those regions.

It is sad because out of every so many, there are those that need this treatment and they are going to be labeled in the wrong vein. Yes, it is sad. Columbus did (don't know what station) highlight how the "sponsor's" as they were called drove them up here.

As I write this with an extreme migraine and yup under meds my PCP prescribes. Fiorinal w/codeine. Thank good for her!

It seems that if one can get by w/a low level pk, one is still ok. I am not sure what the red flags are for LE's but it is usually not what the PCPs script.

CPTime,

I wanted to contact you about getting some more information and/or direction as to going to florida for pain management. I was thinking about going down next week and trying to find a doctor but just wanted to speak to someone who may be able to point me in the right direction. I tired to PM you, but it said it was disabled. So if you or someone else who may be able to point me in the right direction has the time... please advise!

Well when the new law goes into effect, which it might have already, Im not sure, all it needed was Crist's signature around 4/30/2010, I havent checked if he signed it yet.

You will only be able to get 72 hours worth of meds if you are paying with cash, check, or credit card without insurance.

So the days of filling up a car of old Kentucky hillbillies and driving to Florida will be over I think.

I feel bad for the poor Floridians that will be affected by the law though. Those lower middle class people who are too poor to pay for insurance and at the same time make too much money to get state-run insurance.

Also some people think the pain clinics will just start charging $1500-$2000 cash for the office visit and just give the pills away for "free", that does seem to be an option to get around the bill

Was that all prescribed to one person!?!?! How did that patient not OD? I would be very suspicious of that doctor if I was a law enforcement agent.

I am not sure if anyone still responds to this thread. But I need help and some advice. I have an MRI from about two weeks ago with bulged disks and I was just in a car accident about a month ago. After the accident, a local doctor prescribed me Tramadol but it does nothing for the severe pain. Local doctors won't help, but I don't have the money to drive to Florida. Is there any way to mail my MRI or anything else I can do!? I need help from this pain! Any advice would be incredibly appreciated

CPtime,

I could really use some help and advice. I have bulged disks in my back and was just in a car accident and only prescribed a low dose of Tramadol. The pain is unbearable and doctors won't help me around here. I cannot afford to drive to Florida. Please someone help.