A Doctor Explains How Buprenorphine Is a "Stealth Medicine" for Both Addiction and Chronic Pain
Without a diagnosis of opioid use disorder, buprenorphine is rarely covered by insurance. With the diagnosis, it usually is.
That was what I was thinking too. Coding it for pain wont cover it.
Another thing too, oxycodone is horrid shit in my opinion. In a month it only helps half as much as it did the previous month and you need more for the same pain relief. Its a fast and endless hamster wheel in my experience with it; like discribed in this article.
But, instead of being placed on Suboxone, as I did have a physical dependence (though not an addiction) and would experience all of the horrid opioid withdrawl symptoms, my doctors flipped me to a fentyal patch and morphine sulfate for a break through and together they were perfect. More pain relief, no falling asleep like on oxycodone and not even loopy feeling, could function, AND didnt need more in any future months or time frame. Once i found the level that helped the most i was on it for a few years before the pump was implanted.
Like Suboxone is described here.
Oh, and since they are still opioids, didnt experience any withdrawl switching from one to the other.
So Drs have other choices. The only people that Ive talked to on Suboxone are those that had a pain pill addiction. Buying them off of the streets, etc. If no addiction, why not just a patch that stays on for 72 or 48 hrs?
So, if i were a Dr, if i have a patient addicted to pain pills, other than cutting them off, Suboxone is what i would go for.
But if i had a patient that oxycodone wasnt working for, id find another med that did.
Or, if for ObamaCare reasons pain med wasnt covered but an addiction med is, then i might.