Tampa Pain Clinic Doctor and Staff are Questionable Tampa, Florida

DR,VanDacar was all things you wanted in a DR. THAN YOU WHERE GIVIN A CHOICE TO COME IN EVERY MONTH OR NOT .YOUR CHOICE.If you didn't follow up with your primary with other medical problems you had now you need to blame a doctor.IM a patient of DR VAVDACAR for about a year i had bypass surgery done by a whole team of doctors who i till this day have not seen since the day they came in my hospital room,NEVER THERE TO SEE ME AT ONE VISIT THE THE NURSE WAS THERE DOING HER JOBTO STAND BY THE DOCTOR WHO KNOWS AS MUCH ABOUT YOU AS THE DOCTOR.It was not. job to help me with any other medical problem but pain management but he has been a very in every aspects .you made some bad deceptions and now you need to blame someone else SO YOU STARTED PICKING ON YOUR PAIN MANAGEMENT DOCTOR.It sounds like you didn't see your primary doctor and tell him your problems.you to use the good doctor instead going to the doctors you needed to see.PEOPLE SEEM TO FORGET THAT TAMPA PAINMANAGEMENTCLINIC is for pain management so stop trying to use and blame someone.you are not a child take the of your own body.if anything doesn't look right the. will tell me to see my primary maybe have some blood work done,what ever,you know your primary has to send you to any doctor you need to see.Theres a reason you are saying these things about my doctor.But if you sit back and think about it .You know he was the only doctor who helped you and now you are sorry cause now you cant find a doctor to give you the same care i feel sorry for you .you must be very unhappy with yourself .maybe you would feel better if you saw the right doctor.sound like you need a shrink.good luck. 


theres very few really good doctors out there and DR is one of those doctors.Brenda

My story starts almost 2 years ago.  That is also how long I have been a patient.  I fractured my jaw as a realtor sitting in a model home when locking up for the night to go home. I never even knew what was comming.  After seeing the one of the top maxiofacial Doctors in my area "Daytona Beach/Ormond Beach" he stated he has never seen a fracture to my severity.  After surgery and wired shut for 6 weeks the ending result is he could not attach my jaw joint togather in any manner.  He said the break was so uncommon even he (the doctor) had to consult his piers.  I have nothing attaching my jaw joing togather except for muscle and tissue, etc... No plate could be placed.  I ended up in severe pain for a long time fighting the "time" to go on pain medication.  After doing serveral different treatments with several doctors none could control the pain.  One finaly gave me a script for a medication called "lortabs" I think.  It was like taken asprin and I found myself not eating,sleeping & withdrawing from my friends and family because I was not happy do to the pain I was feeling.  Every doctor was affraid to treat me iwth pain medication.  I accepted it and fell into depression now along with my pain.  Then everything changed, I had a friend who is a doctor and very close to me recommend Dr. VanDercar.  Upon making my appointment I was told to bring in all my medical charts, exams, x-rays or he would not see me.  Driving 2 hours from the east coast I brought everything I was supposed to. Upon waitng my first appointment I saw 2 people sent away because one did not bring the proper paper work and the other was a bit looking "drugged" to begin with. You should never be in that condition or not prepared so I now understood why they are so strict just from watching. Those two were sent away. In two years I have seen this many times, he does not tollerate it.  That is not a bad medical practice, that is a good and careful medical practice.  My first visit with him was in his office, going over my charts, waiting for my drug test to come back, a medical background on himself and all the rules and procedures that are OPTIONAL.  This is all being taped by video cam corders as he went over all my options.  We decided togather what would be best and I can tell you it has never been a bad decision.  My whole life changed in ways I could go on and on.  I am so glad I had a doctor that is treating my pain, always following up, very knowledgeable in this field and have recommended him to one of my friends who's life changed as well.  This man and his staff know what they are doing, who to treat, who not to treat (if showing obvious  signs), and making sure every month by no matter what "means" you are getting the treatment you need.  As far as his treatment he has compassion and listens.  The whole thing comes down to this, the ones that write bad or incorrect information about him and his practice are the ones that are not getting what they want; "high". I have never been high on pain meds so I don't know that feeling.  I just know I can live my life the way I used to before I was assaulted and took away something so simple as eating and playing sports with my friends and family.  I also am not being judged, because If you want to pull the wool over anyones eyes you can, even Dr. VanDercar.  He is not perfect nor is anyone else.  Some people slip by with lies and false information to get what they want, that is not his fault, that is the person doing it to him.  I can tell you if you are in pain an it effects your life, you have a medical history, records, x rays & you can come in with your facts you will be treated with utmost respect and treatment plan you both will decided on.  You have the right who treats you and what you take, he has the right to do the same.  On a ending note, he is a Doctor and loves to travel, lets not forget he had cancer and was under treatment not to long ago.  He is enjoying his time on earth as he should.  I just hope we have a long time with him as well.  He is a wonderful doctor and I would recommend him anytime for anyone who wants there life back.  Just play by the rules and follow orders and you will never have to write a negative comment about him.  Thank you for reading this. Enjoy your life, it is yours and no one else. Make it happen by making the right decisions. Dr. VanDercar if you are reading this, thank you and your staff for trusting and providing excellent care for all who deserve your care. We all know the truth on how you treat and care an I am sorry for the negative untruthful things being posted.

I am personally offended that you would lie and try to make Dr. VanDercar look bad. I am not in the habit of accusing a stranger of being a liar, but lets face it most of your complaints in this letter do not make any sense. So, either you are extremely confused or you are a liar.

The first thing that I noticed in your complaint is that Dr. V obviously had your pain under control, as that is something that you did not complain about. That means he did his job effectively. Dr. V is a pain management doctor that means his goal is to get you out of pain and develop regimen that will allow you to manage your pain and life a full and productive life. I suffer from chronic pain and I have seen specialist after specialist, including the doctor who is supposed to be the best orthopedic doctor in the country. No one could get me out of pain, after trying what seemed like everything in existence. I am a pretty tough woman and I was raised to accept these things and keep a smile on my face. However, after years of excruciating pain that I could not escape from 24/7, I just couldnt take it anymore. It is horrible to never be able to escape such pain. When I could fall asleep, as soon as I moved in my sleep the pain woke me up immediately. The pain was so bad that I was persistently vomiting I had become literally sick to my stomach from the continuous pain. I also began to suffer from anxiety attacks, which are terrifying if you have never experienced one, and I certainly hope that you never do. Even though you are quite obviously an idiot, I do not wish that you suffer in any way, especially from an anxiety attack.

I became clinically depressed and I knew that I could not continue to live in such a state of never-ending pain. I lost my ability to work and ended up at home depressed, sick, and crying constantly. This is totally unlike me in all ways. I am an extrovert who never lets anything in life beat mebut this pain was taking me down and I was losing my will to fight it. My husband is a very kind and caring man, and it was breaking his heart to watch me suffer, knowing that he was helpless to do anything at all to relieve my pain and suffering and depression. Plus, there were times when my pain was so bad I would take it out on him and I know that I was very hard to live with. We are married because we are best friends who enjoy life and having fun together; taking advantage of every opportunity to do something new or have fun in some way. At that point in my life I was no fun at all and I wasnt physically able to participate in most activities. And if there was an activity I could participate in, the theater or concerts, going to movies, etc., I just did not want to go. Even sitting through a play or a concert was excruciating for me. Additionally, the depression had made me lose my interest in everything life had to offer me. That is no way to live.

My primary care doctor was aware of all of the above. She had me on tons of NSAIDs and Vicodin all of which are just horrible for your body and internal organs. My mother has been on NSAIDs for several years now and now has irreparable liver damage. I explained this to my PCD and explained to her that I was now afraid to be taking NSAIDs and Tylenol (compounded in the Vicodin) every day; especially since none of those medications were alleviating my pain whatsoever. The only small benefit to me was that Vicodin would help me get an average of 2 hours per night of sleep.

Thank GOD I have found Dr. V and the Tampa Pain Clinic. They have literally saved my life and reinstalled my will to live and be productive again. Not to mention they have probably saved my marriage. On my first visit, I was totally shocked to have to take a drug test! Not that I had anything to worry about, but I was impressed with the thoroughness of the Tampa Pain Clinic and the fact that they do not play around with individuals who may be junkies or doctor-shopping, etc. Dr. V has very high ethics and morals. In fact, the Tampa Pain Clinic works closely with local law enforcement. Twice I have seen officers of the law in the office asking the clinic for assistance with various matters. How many doctor offices do you know of that help the Police Dept/Sheriffs Office? (Im not sure which I saw in there.) I know of only this one, myself. But I feel that this is a prime example of Dr. Vs ethics and priorities.

He truly cares about his patients and getting people out of pain is his priority because he does care. Dr. V is also a Psychologist and has held several very important and prestigious positions at the University level in which I imagine he made quite a lot of money at. And Psychology is a very financially rewarding field, as well. However, Dr. V as a pain management doctor is saving lives, and he is making life worth living to each and every one of his patients. I have never had the impression that he does this for the money like so many doctors nowadays do. Instead, I have always been made to feel as though my condition is the most important thing going on that day. Im sure that the Doctor and his staff make everyone feel that way. We all get plenty of personalized attention and we are able to spend as much time with the doctor as we need no one is ever rushed through appointments no matter how busy they happen to be that day.

I have no idea how many doctors I have seen over the years before finding Dr. V, but not one of them ever addressed my weight. On my first visit Dr. V explained to me just exactly how and why weight affects pain management. He was very encouraging about the issue and made me feel like I can do it. I have tried diet after diet on my own (to look better) and nothing ever worked. However, with the support of everyone at the clinic, I consistently lose weight; every month when I go in I have lost weight. Jennifer is the staff member who does the weigh-in and blood pressure check, and she is ALWAYS so happy for me that I have lost weight! It really makes me feel good, its like she is cheering me on every visit. This impresses me because Jennifer is extremely busy as she is also the office manager and runs the front desk as well. So, for her to take the extra time and be happy for me really motivates me to continue to lose weight and improve my health. So, all along it wasnt that diets were failing, its that I wasnt getting the support and motivation I needed even from programs such as Weight Watchers.

Dr. Vs assistant/nurse as you refer to her is named Emily. Emily is extremely knowledgeable and has been personally trained by Dr. V. I get the impression that she is exceptionally educated well beyond her job requirements. Emily is very kind and caring and has a great personality. I look forward to seeing her every month and being able to visit with her because she is so friendly I really like her a lot and at the same time with her I feel like I am in good hands. Whenever I have a question, she will usually answer it, but she makes sure to tell me to also discuss it with the doctor when he comes in. I always do, and he always gives me the same answer Emily did just proving how well-trained she is. Both Emily and the doctor read through the monthly questionnaire that we are required to fill out, and they both discuss with me the responses I have written out. So, to rebut your claim, there is no way that your information never got past Emily you put it in writing yourself and both Emily and the doctor read it. It is not possible for information to stop at Emily because of this program in place. Also, every visit each patient visits with Dr. V that is when you are to bring up anything that the doctor should address or be aware of. That is YOUR responsibility as a patient. He does not have the ability to read your mind. But he does have the ability to read your questionnaire, so I suggest using it.

To sum up, since finding the Tampa Pain Clinic, my pain has become manageable without the worry of using medications that will cause damage to my organs. My depression has receded and Dr. V has me on a prescription for my anxiety attacks. The clinic has always been able to accommodate my schedule, such as being out of state when my appointment was due. I am again able to participate in activities with my husband and able to enjoy my life. I have a reason to live and be happy now. Also, because of my continuing weight loss, I am in an even better state than before because I look so good now, and the weight loss also enables me to do more physical and athletic activities. Dr. VanDercar has saved my life and improved my quality of life in countless ways. I feel Blessed to have found him. I dont think I could have gone on much longer in the state I was in. That was no way to live.

You claim to be a chronic pain sufferer as I am so if Dr. V had your pain under control and was helping you in that regard, why in the world arent you happy and grateful to this man? How in the world could you bad-mouth him in such a way? I cannot understand you in this regard why you do not appreciate the man that has controlled your pain. This is no easy fete and finding a doctor like Dr. VanDercar is so difficult and so rare it is a shame that you have left his care. I am quite positive that you will regret doing so once you see that he is one of a kind. I wish you all the best, and I am so sorry that you are such a sad and miserable person that has to make herself feel better by degrading others for no good reason. You have only hurt yourself in this case, and that is the real shame here.

When I was in my mid-twenties, I was involved in two automobile accidents which left me with  bulging, herniated and deteriorating discs and I was in severe pain for the most part of my adult life.

In 2002 I had two surgeries on my back and neck to correct the problem, but the surgeries did not work. I started seeing a pain doctor whose treatment was trigger point injections and pain blocks with minimal narcotic medication. I saw him for four years. He opened a pharmacy next to the clinic and the service that I got at the pharmacy.....getting wrong prescriptions, increase in price every month and waiting time for long, led me to search for another doctor. 

Finally, in 2006 I found Dr. VanDecar and made an appointment.  I had to bring reports of all film and my prescription history to the initial appointment.  He drug tested me, did an extensive physical, and sat and interviewed me on video for over an hour.  I had never had a doctor take so much time with me and I was impressed. He started a regiment with me which he adjusted in two weeks and my quality of life has improved 100%. 

When Dr V. goes on vacation he gives all his patients a month notice.  His assistant has never written prescriptions for him.  Every month we fill out an extensive questionnaire and every visit the blood pressure and weight are checked.  

After you have established a successful treatment program with him he gives you the option of coming in every third month and still have to fill out the questionnaire because the doctor reviews them monthly before he gives you the prescriptions.

It is hard enough to find a good pain management doctor in Florida. I was blessed to find Dr. V. and staff and get the quality care that I deserve. He has never been shut down or arrested.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

I am also a patient of Dr. David Vandercar @ Tampa Pain Clinic. I have been seeing Dr. Vandercar for almost 2 years now.  I too have a severe spine disorder as does the person complain about the services of the Tampa Pain Clinic.  First of all. there is nothing illegal or disorderly going on there.  When you go for your first consultation, Dr. Vandercar explains his entire process of how your appointments will go. His assistant, who is "taking over for the DR." is beyond qualified to do the job she does.  Whatever you tell his assistant, she either writes it down on your "pain questionnaire" for Dr. to look at when he comes in to see you or she makes a note in the computer for him.  if it is an emergency or urgent...she leaves the room and gets Dr. Vandercar immediately.  Dr. Vandercar has numerous patients and he does all he can to help out each of us and spend the most time he can. some patients need more attention then others.  HE expects you to tell him how your months is, your pain levels, and or any other complications your may or may not have throughout the month. If your pain medication is doing its job, and YOU are NOT abusing it, Dr. Vandercar has done his job.  HE explains and stressed that he is only your pain management doctor.  You must have and keep your primary care doctors, physical therapists, orthopedic Dr.. etc.  it is not his job to check your blood or do routine check ups for you. thats what your regular doctors are for.  if you are taking the medication as your suppose to be.. your liver, kidneys and other organs should be just fine. you also state that he gave you high doses of medications...one of those medications is your breakthrough medication...which you are only suppose to take as needed.

Since i have been a patient at TPC, Dr. Vandercar went on 1 vacation. he sent out notices at least 30 days prior to his departure and he sent you your next months prescriptions either a week early, which were stamped not to fill before the appropriate fill day. or the week after.  Also, every appointment is one he 28th day and the prescriptions were 30 day fills so everyone should have at least 2-3 extra days worth sitting around. Dr. Vandercar has never just up and left and no one had their prescriptions. that is ob sured and untrue.  It is not Dr. Vandercar;s job to request your MRI every year.. that is your primary care doctors job.  If you paid attention during your  consultation, you would know all this.

Now, As far as the doctor only seeing you once every three months and sending your prescriptions, False again. Dr. Vandercar gave some of the patients, who have found the appropriate amounts of prescriptions to suit their pain, AN OPTION to do a RX refill. This allows some of the patients who do not live close to the clinic or have trouble getting time off work to go to their appointments the option to refill.  This is not illegal by the way.  prescriptions cannot be adjusted or changed over the phone so patients who need adjustments regularly cannot use this option.  he does not make anyone use this option.  He would rather see his patients every month but as kind hearted as he is, he makes any arrangements for people to make their appointments easier for them.

there are some doctors out there that are going to tell you that taking pain medications is harmful. they are called intervetionalists.  they make more money by sending patients to get surgeries, pain pumps, injections, which all can cause more harm then good them medications, in some cases. Before i came to Dr. Vandercar, i had some of these procedures done... they made my pain 10x worse.

when i first came to TPC. i could barely walk or sit.  i was in such excruciating pain,, i list my will to live. i was ready to throw in the towel. within the first 6 months, along with acupuncture, stretching, physical therapy. i was like a new man.Do i still have severe pain...yes. but it is not as frequent and not as demeaning.

Depending on the state you live in, a doctor has the right to not release your medical records directly to you and usually would send them to the Dr. you requested. this is so you cannot tamper with your medical history or change anything on it.  i know that TAMPA PAIN CLINIC is extremely busy but if you request something sent somewhere  and it doesn't get there..call back! 

Again, i have been a patient of Dr. Vandercar for almost 2 years now, and if it was not for him. i would not be here telling you that he is a legit and respectable DR. and does not do anything illegal at his practice.  he has thrown out ,i believe, somewhere in the vicinity on 300+ patients for abuse, neglect, or diversion in the last 2 years.  He does everything according to Florida Code and doesn't abuse his practice.  if you feel you are doing well and you think it is time to start reducing your medications, tell them!!!  they would be glad to help you if you feel you would do better without the medicine.  Because of Dr. Vandercar and his staff and assistants, i am a completely better person and much healthier now then i ever been.  Honestly, there is not enough time or space on this website to explain how thankful and appreciative i am of Dr. Vandercar and his staff.

The whole problem is some people, such as this woman, do not pay attention to what they are told.  If she did, she would not have gone to try to deface one of the best Pain Management Doctors left in the country and they are still in business and doing well. 

Whoever wrote this original report obviously has problems.  As a chronic pain sufferer I know personally how hard it is to find a good pain management doctor.  If the author is being treated properly and her pain is under control - what is her complaint?  I suspect there is more to the story and the Tampa Pain Clinic sounds like a sincere, caring place for treatment.  Apparently the author would rather suffer in pain and complain all day.

I too am a chronic pain patient who has an incurable disorder that results in severe lifelong pain. But unlike you (lady who wrote first post) I am not sour over some miscommunication that occured, and I can tell you (and everyone who is reading this) what I hear from every other patient that I have talked to when in their office: Dr. Vandercar is AMAZING. Better yet, he is my life saver.

Since becoming a patient of Dr. Vandercar in 2007 I have been, for the most part, almost pain free. The pain was unbearable before. Now, I can deal with everyday life! My husband is so happy that I found Dr. Vandercar. HE IS MY LIFE SAVER and if it wasn't for him I would have taken my own life by now due to pain.

Living with all that pain, I felt like I was already DEAD!! I did not want to go on living any more. Even though I have a grandaughter, beforehand, I would have given up my life in a heartbeat. That is how bad the pain was. But no longer!! Before, with just the thought of getting out of bed, and the pain I would suffer, I honestly did not want to go on any longer.

You are obviously pissed off about something (like maybe he told you that you were really overweight?) and/or have way too much time on your hands. More importantly, you are really off-base about everything that you said. First off, although Dr. Vandercar does take like a week vacation for Christmas and one around summer time, they schedule your appointments so that you don't get off schedule or miss out on your medications. They schedule this when you are there the month before and let you know what is going on then.

Second off, if you had something so important and yet forgot to tell Doctor Vandercar about it then its your fault that something bad happened. He comes in at every appointment and talks to you and reads your sheet. If it was actually important you should have written it down or said something to him.

Third off, why would you need a new MRI if nothing had changed? What, do you think that your need for pain medication is suddenly going to dissapear?

You just left the place with the best pain doctor in town. You caused this problem yourself through miscommunication. If you had talked to Dr. Vandercar about these things you would have learned the answers to your questions, and he would have explained why you didn't need liver/kidney function tests, and so forth. You just never said anything and now you've twisted all the facts up in your head.

Depending on the extent of your pain have you considered asking for a nerve block. You can either get steriods (non inflammatory) injected into the area of your pain or get the nerves burned. I had a few steriod injections that were good for a couple of months or so but the nerve burn did a better job. These options are better than surgery and some carriers prefer you go the route of pain pills or nerve blocks before they even consider surgery. Speaking of insurance that would probably be a reason for not having MRI's. Why would you need multiple ones. Depending on the cause of your pain (Herniated or bulging disc's) or degenerative discs. How about weight?? Weight is a factor for some. Your back simply can't support that extra weight getting carried around.

You do not say enough about the cause of your pain for anyone to suggest anything other than for the doctor to give you pain pills. If you are that concerned about addiction you are probably better off getting NSAID's (even though they can cause high blood pressure or liver damage) instead.

The limits on your treatment have more to do with your insurance company than the doctor.

I have never heard of a pain patient complaining about having well controlled pain.???

Sounds like this person needed to ask more questions to the office assistants or should have asked the doctor to sit and speak with them for a few more minutes. I know Dr. VanDercar would have happily sat down and answered any of these questions and eased thier mind. Everything they thought was a problem or was not legit was all totally legit. Miscommunication is a big problem of today's world. This patient sounded like thier pain was in great control, but had lack of communication skills. They sound like they had been going to the clinic for quite sometime before complaining. The doctor probably thought this person was doing fine, but the patient failed to talk to the doc.

 The doctor comes in every visit that your there and hands you your prescriptions, so there is plenty of opportunity to ask any questions you may have. If you are going to the clinic and your pain is well controlled, unless you ask questions, everyone thinks you are doing ok. If you are concerned about certain issues: liver, kidneys.. You should have asked. I feel very comfortable with Dr. VanDercar taking care of my pain issues. After going there for 5 years, all my questions have been answered, so I just get my refills and go my way. But, if I had any problems or questions, I always consult with the doc.

 I know that everything the clinic is doing is totally legal or they wouldn't be doing it. The dr.'s wife is a judge and his daughter is an attorney, so I know and trust this clinic above and beyond any others.

 This doctor does tell you from the very start if the medications have any diverse side effects; such as organ damage. He informs all of his patients about how narcotic pain meds effect your body; such as constipation etc...

 If you agree to the contract and are seeking pain control after having been through numerous injections that can cause organ damage, surgeries, and chiropractors aren't helping then you should have already known all the facts.

, before you go bashing this doctor, you should ask questions. The saying goes; you can't please all the people all the time

Good Luck with your pain issues and finding any doctor half as good, you are going to need it...Makes me wonder if you really have pain or just depressed and looking for attention.   D-RAT-AL-FL

I am sorry to hear of all of your pain issues.  I have a suggestion for you and I hope you will seriously consider this option.

First, the real SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM is not to be drugged by pain pills.  Pain pills DO NOT solve the problem.  They COVER UP the cause of the problem. 

Second, yes it is possible surgury may be the only solution, but this option should only be at the absolute last resort.  Fusion surgury often leads patients with more pain and certainly less flexibility.

May I respectfully recommend you see a good chiropractor.  Notice I said a "good" chiropractor.  There are those in the profession who are not so good.  Those are the one's who claim they can resolve all your problems from A to Z with back adjustments.  Stay away from those guys.  Find one who will take the time to properly diagnose the problem and propose a treatment regimen.  Is it possible a chiropractor may not be able to help you?  Of course.  However, it is worth the effort to see.  Many, many people have had back pain and headache problems resolved thru chiropractic. 

There are many who will tell you chiropractic is quackery.  Trust me, it isn't.  The design and construction of your spine in relation to nerve routing and disc position is very complex.  So complex that nerves can be impinged and cause on going pain.  Imagine what you would experience if a piece of food lodged into an open tooth cavity.  Ever have that happen?  If the cavity is deep enough to either expose the nerve you will most definitely feel it!  Same goes if one of the many nerves in your spinal area is touched by a bone which is out of place.

I am not a chiropractor, nor do I have any financial interest in that profession.  I do have many friends and acquaintances who have had success with conditions you describe. 

I sincerly hope you will carefully consider my recommendations.

As a pain clinic, it difficult for us to respond to posts such as this, as we are bound by a variety of privacy laws, both state and federal. As a result, we cannot address specific situations when such a response would require that we divulge private information about the patient in question.

Our patients invariably have been through a variety of therapies and/or surgeries in an attempt to gain relief. We provide a therapy of last resort opiate medications. The patients first visit lasts approximately one hour. From thereon out the amount of time that a visit takes varies depending on how the patient is doing. A patient who has been with us for a long time, who is not having any side-effects and is happy with their current medication regime, will likely have a quick office visit. Conversely, when a patient is having difficulty, or their status has changed since their last visit, Doctor VanDercar will spend considerably longer talking to the patient.

COMPLAINT #1

POST Claims that she shared information with Doctor VanDercars assistant but that the assistant never shared the information with Doctor VanDercar.

HOWEVER In order to avoid such a problem we require that patients fill out a one page questionnaire at each office visit. The sheet is quite comprehensive, requiring that the patient provide information on how their pain has been since their last visit, whether theyve had any sedation or insomnia due to the medications, whether theyve been having problems with constipation, whether they are using up their medication faster or slower than prescribed, etcetera.

After recording the patients blood pressure and weight, Doctor VanDercars assistant reviews the intake questionnaire with the patient. Specifically, she (1) reads through the questionnaire, (2) confirms and clarifies any complaints that the patient has made, (3) asks whether the patient is having difficulty with or wants to talk to Doc about anything that isnt mentioned on the sheet, and then (4) puts the clipboard in the bin outside of the patients room. If, during the intake, the patient shares a piece of information that they forgot to put down on the sheet, Docs assistant makes a note, shares the information with Doc, and reminds the patient to address the issue with Doctor VanDercar. The written questionnaire is a fail-safe of sorts, ensuring that the patient shares all pertinent information with the physician.

Then, Doctor VanDercar comes by and picks up the questionnaire, reads through the patients responses, goes in and talks to the patient, and if appropriate, provides the patient with their prescriptions. The other aspect of his assistants job is to help educate patients on several key topics, i.e.: how to handle constipation, the importance of taking medication regularly, the difference between breakthrough and baseline medication, etc. When asked about one of these issues his assistant provides the patient with the official response and then notes the conversation in the record.

COMPLAINT #2 -

POST The doctor stopped seeing me every month. I was told to come in one month and the following two months my prescriptions would be mailed to me. They didn't even speak to me on the phone. My credit card was charged and my medications were sent via FedEx. I later learned that this is illegal.

HOWEVER - According to Federal and State law, a single prescription for a CII medication (oxycodone, dilaudid, methadone, etc.) can only provide 30 days worth of medication. However, 21 U.S.C. 1306.12 provides physicians with the authority to issue up to 90 days worth of medication (per office visit) by using three separate scripts the scripts can be given simultaneously or successively. Thus, technically, we could allow eligible patients