Doctor Office Discrimination

[aardema45]

In Houghton Lake Michigan, Mid Michigan Health Park located at 9249 West Lake City Road Houghton Lake Mi 48629 Is requiring drug testing for any patient requesting any pain meds other class c drugs and if you can not test clean you can not have meds and if you test dirty again your discharged as a patient from the clinic. This is a clinic that bills patients according to their incomes (without insurance). So most of us patients have no where else to go, Dr. Stickler there is said to be in charge of this program and threating his employees jobs that do not do the testing.

[bobandtorey]

In Houghton Lake Michigan, Mid Michigan Health Park located at 9249 West Lake City Road Houghton Lake Mi 48629 Is requiring drug testing for any patient requesting any pain meds other class c drugs and if you can not test clean you can not have meds and if you test dirty again your discharged as a patient from the clinic. This is a clinic that bills patients according to their incomes (without insurance). So most of us patients have no where else to go, Dr. Stickler there is said to be in charge of this program and threating his employees jobs that do not do the testing.

 

 

wow even the V.A is ok with mmj thats what i would tell them

[brbud]

wow even the V.A is ok with mmj thats what i would tell them

Right On

Was noticing, if you look at a map of CC/disp there is a big empty space in central Mi. Rep/Conserv Over the top

Praying for them.

[peanutbutter]

I don't think you could make a case right now that would require the doctors office to respect medical marijuana.

 

So by rocking the boat you would only get them angry.

[+Silverblue]

I asked a lawyer about a patient having MM in their system during a hospital visit when their blood showed it, if the dr could deny treatment, he didn't know, but I told him others have had this happen to them. He was really disgusted that they can get away with it. He's not an MM lawyer but I know he had defended some patients. I will ask an MM lawyer about this, too. Knowing they can do this, I wanted to know what the patient's rights are.

 

Sb

[peanutbutter]

I asked a lawyer about a patient having MM in their system during a hospital visit when their blood showed it, if the dr could deny treatment, he didn't know, but I told him others have had this happen to them. He was really disgusted that they can get away with it. He's not an MM lawyer but I know he had defended some patients. I will ask an MM lawyer about this, too. Knowing they can do this, I wanted to know what the patient's rights are.

 

Sb

 

If you learn anything, I'd love to read about it.

 

On 12/4/2008 I walked into my eye doctors office to ask for a letter based on glaucoma.

 

They sent me a certified letter telling me to never come back.

[StonedPlanet]

My doctor is well aware of ALL of my medications. He does not test me, and I am very open with him in reguards to my medical use of marijuana. I started showing interest with the program soon after it started and I wasn't quite sure how to bring it up to my doctor. He has seen the results of my MRI and does not question my pain level. My last visit, he asked if I had registered yet. I explained to him the entire process, from start to finish. The only politics he referred to were "What happens if the next administration decides to become strict once again?". I am sure that is on the minds of many doctors who are reluctant to sign the paperwork even though they feel the patient could benefit.

He then went on to tell me that he has a few patients who are in the program. He did not give out specifics such as different qualifications, but he did not discriminate against any of them for seeking alternatives either.

He is located in Walled Lake, send me a PM if you would like more info.. He will NOT sign the paperwork, but he will NOT drop you as a patient and will talk openly about different medications including medical marijuana.

I have been through the physical therapy, and the back injections at the pain clinic. I spoke with a doctor at the pain clinic who also agreed that I could benefit from medical marijuana, but he was reluctant to put his name on the line. None of the offices I have been to have discriminated against me in any form. If any of them had threatened to drop me as a patient, I would turn it back to them and "threaten" to drop them as my doctor. I would ask him why he prefers opiates over a natural growing herb. I would start to question his practice and his compassion towards his patient. Then I would probably organize a protest on the sidewalk about the lack of compassion for their patients.

 

Having a GOOD doctor is very important! I will continue my regular visits with him just as I have been in the past.

[aardema45]

Thanks for the comments, I will check back and update as I know more and as you all learn more too. Newbie

[phaquetoo]

this is one of my old posts from the same dr office in houghton lake, what took so long for them to get you?

 

http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/topic/18107-my-dr-quit-me-today-because-i-have-mm-in-my-system/page__p__157178__fromsearch__1#entry157178

 

 

peace

FTW

Jim

[phaquetoo]

wow even the V.A is ok with mmj thats what i would tell them

 

 

same place quit me bob remember?

 

Peace

FTW

Jim

[northerngal]

Nothing unusual there. Most pain clinics do test and most have a narcotics agreement. I have been "up and down" that road with my husband with his previous doctor, done many, many hours of research and even sought out the advice of an attorney....To learn that there isn't a darn thing we can do at this time, as far as "discrimination" goes. Prescription medication is not "regulated" by the State of Michigan, the regulating factors here that have "control" are federal. So although MMJ for qualified patients is recognized and legal within out state, it is NOT recognized federally. (yet) I hope that makes sense, because although I understand it from that point, I will never totally understand it. We can thank former president Nixon and Atty. General John Mitchell way back in the 60's for most of that

 

Edited to add: Most doctors offices that are "regulated" by a board (hospital board, etc.) are often required to test you also!

[The Digital Nomad]

Nothing unusual there. Most pain clinics do test and most have a narcotics agreement. I have been "up and down" that road with my husband with his previous doctor, done many, many hours of research and even sought out the advice of an attorney....To learn that there isn't a darn thing we can do at this time, as far as "discrimination" goes. Prescription medication is not "regulated" by the State of Michigan, the regulating factors here that have "control" are federal. So although MMJ for qualified patients is recognized and legal within out state, it is NOT recognized federally. (yet)

 

Good answer northern gal, here is more:

 

The DEA controls the dispensing of prescription drugs, thats Federal. Now, the DEA has computerized the database to easily track prescriptions written. Any policy that comes about for dispensing prescriptions will start with federal guidelines, then hospital/organization policies. Working in the medical field, the doctors are very aware of the DEA tracking their scripts, and they worry about losing their DEA license to write scripts if the DEA thinks they write too many scripts or find out they violate FEDERAL LAW by writing narcotic scripts to those using marijuana. marijuana is still considered a drug of abuse, and doctors are prohibited from writing scripts to 'known drug abusers' or 'those that display drug seeking tenancies'.

 

Again - blame the DEA for pressuring doctors to follow the outdated healthcare plan..

 

-DN

[phaquetoo]

Good answer northern gal, here is more:

 

The DEA controls the dispensing of prescription drugs, thats Federal. Now, the DEA has computerized the database to easily track prescriptions written. Any policy that comes about for dispensing prescriptions will start with federal guidelines, then hospital/organization policies. Working in the medical field, the doctors are very aware of the DEA tracking their scripts, and they worry about losing their DEA license to write scripts if the DEA thinks they write too many scripts or find out they violate FEDERAL LAW by writing narcotic scripts to those using marijuana. marijuana is still considered a drug of abuse, and doctors are prohibited from writing scripts to 'known drug abusers' or 'those that display drug seeking tenancies'.

 

Again - blame the DEA for pressuring doctors to follow the outdated healthcare plan..

 

-DN

 

 

why isnt 12 yrs of them prescibing you narcotics considered drug abuse?, I didnt beg for my meds, they gave me all kinds of stuff, I eventualy had to get a grip on it myself and get a good pain reliever that i didnt like the feeling of, but worked good for pain!

 

when thc shows up in your urine screen now you are a drug abuser, dude like me, they were writing me scripts still, I wasnt taking them, the only thing in my urine was thc, I was asked about the meds and told them i had them, in case the mm didnt work for me, I can still show them my meds they wrote me, and now my new dr. writes me,!

 

Peace

FTW

Jim

 

(i know in most cases their meds not being in my system is enough to quit me also, that wasnt the case, they quit me because they said i had a poly substance abuse problem!)

[+Dizledot]

why isnt 12 yrs of them prescibing you narcotics considered drug abuse?, I didnt beg for my meds, they gave me all kinds of stuff, I eventualy had to get a grip on it myself and get a good pain reliever that i didnt like the feeling of, but worked good for pain!

 

when thc shows up in your urine screen now you are a drug abuser, dude like me, they were writing me scripts still, I wasnt taking them, the only thing in my urine was thc, I was asked about the meds and told them i had them, in case the mm didnt work for me, I can still show them my meds they wrote me, and now my new dr. writes me,!

 

Peace

FTW

Jim

 

(i know in most cases their meds not being in my system is enough to quit me also, that wasnt the case, they quit me because they said i had a poly substance abuse problem!)

 

Hey Phaq how are you!

 

It was 10 years of opiates for me before the MM law went into effect. I don't understand how my doctor at the time could just hand out prescriptions like opiates were candy saying I needed a better quality of like...pain free. Yep I was pain free alright and strung out on pills!

 

Dizz

[+mayorherb]

In Houghton Lake Michigan, Mid Michigan Health Park located at 9249 West Lake City Road Houghton Lake Mi 48629 Is requiring drug testing for any patient requesting any pain meds other class c drugs and if you can not test clean you can not have meds and if you test dirty again your discharged as a patient from the clinic. This is a clinic that bills patients according to their incomes (without insurance). So most of us patients have no where else to go, Dr. Stickler there is said to be in charge of this program and threating his employees jobs that do not do the testing.

There is some thing you can do abut it. You can send a email to mdch in a complaint, thats what i did and i do have a active case going. I also called my insurance,,In the rules it states weare not be punished ,discriminated against, ect...So every one complain to mdch they are the ones that over see the Dr.s and after awhile they have to listen..FILE COMPLAINTS.

[phaquetoo]

There is some thing you can do abut it. You can send a email to mdch in a complaint, thats what i did and i do have a active case going. I also called my insurance,,In the rules it states weare not be punished ,discriminated against, ect...So every one complain to mdch they are the ones that over see the Dr.s and after awhile they have to listen..FILE COMPLAINTS.

 

I talked to a lawyer and an mm friendly dr. they told me they can quit you for any reason, kinda like a non union job, a dr does not have to accept you or keep you, they can quit you for any reason, something about no fault(rule in labor and practicese) a dr for instance can say they dont want to see 5000 pts any longer and im dropping 1/2 of them. they can do it, but on my last dr record from houghton lake dr. it said i tested pos for thc and since im a mm card holder they refuse to see me and i have a poly-substance abuse problem!

 

Go figure!

 

Peace

FTW

Jim

[phaquetoo]

Hey Phaq how are you!

 

It was 10 years of opiates for me before the MM law went into effect. I don't understand how my doctor at the time could just hand out prescriptions like opiates were candy saying I needed a better quality of like...pain free. Yep I was pain free alright and strung out on pills!

 

Dizz

 

 

doing good dizz how are you!

 

you know what im talking about than, I never had any probs with drs untill i became legal!

 

Oh well tinkle on them, I got a good one now and its closer to where im staying!

 

Peace

dizz

[lawyercaregiver]

This may be one to stand and fight.

 

Please file a medical grievance with the state board of medical examiners against this doctor and clinic.

 

Denying medical treatment because you are using a legal, safe drug provided pursuant to State law?

 

Maybe you should provide names and addresses here with a request that the office be flooded with letters of protest and e-mails.

 

It would be great if the MMMA could step up and fund a lawsuit against these offending and offensive doctors.

 

Employers, landlords and such can discriminate against med-mar users. I don't think docs can! This would be like being denied legal representation because you are on pain medications which is just ridiculous.

 

Sure they can reduce patient load or drop a patient for just about any reason- but they can't drop you for a "bad" reason like you are black, or a woman, or are chronically ill and are taking legal medication. A court may very well disagree but evil needs to be confronted and fought. This is pure bull-schuetee.