Normally, getting an inpatient admission to a rehabilitation center can be the best thing for your addiction. During your stay in the rehabilitation center, you will learn to live without the drug and develop anti-drug abilities. For most people, an inpatient program is always the best way to go since it keeps them in an environment where they are closely monitored. Typically, a rehab center will give you a home-away-from-home feeling while at the same time helping you to shed your craving for the drugs. .
Additionally, it keeps them in an environment where they won’t have to grapple with the temptations of taking the drugs again. However, there are a few things that you may not be able to do on your own while in the facility. These include filling your own prescriptions. Typically, this is because allowing you to refill your own prescriptions may open up avenues for other forms of substance and drug abuse. Here, we will look at how you will handle your normal prescriptions and who will refill them for you.
Refilling Normal Prescriptions for a Rehab Patient
Essentially, addressing your physical and health needs while at a rehabilitation center is a balancing act for any psychiatric and medical personnel. Typically, rehabilitation centers are abstinence training centers that help you recover from alcohol or drug addiction. As so, most rehab centers have policies that outline what prescriptions are allowed into their facilities. In most cases, there are some prescriptions that you won’t be able to continue with while at the treatment center. Normally, these prohibited prescriptions include drugs or substances that might prevent you from enjoying a smooth recovery. Additionally, if a particular drug is bound to make you relapse, you will discontinue your prescription. If your prescriptions do not have adverse effects on your recovery efforts, the rehabilitation center will book you into their refilling program.
What Prescriptions Will My Rehab Center Discontinue?
Different rehabilitation centers have different policies in regards to what prescriptions will be continued. Normally, before a prescription is discontinued, the health care providers at the rehab center will exhaustively evaluate your case and gauge its merit. There are, however, some prescriptions that are bound to be halted.
They include:
- Opioids include narcotic pain medications such as oxycodone and hydrocodone—opioid maintenance prescriptions such as suboxone and methadone and any other habit-forming drug such as tramadol.
- Benzodiazepines including Xanax and valium
- Gabapentin: Typically used in treating neuropathic and back pain, the drug is also commonly prescribed for anxiety. However, it is known to cause cross-addiction and relapse. Usually, rehabilitation centers will get you patched up with an alternative that does have adverse effects on your overall recovery. For instance, Vistraril can be used to treat your anxiety, while Cymbalta and Amitriptyline are used to relieve your pain.
- Prescription treatments for narcolepsy, sleep apnea, or ADHD: These include Nuvigil, Adderall, Vyvanse, and Ritalin. Alternative prescriptions for these treatments include Strattera. In general, discontinuation of these prescriptions is essential in keeping you fit for recovery. In most cases, patients who continue with prescriptions that may negatively impact their recovery end up relapsing. Other cases lead to cross-addiction where the patient becomes addicted to another drug they were not dependent on previously. For instance, if you are an alcoholic and continues with prescriptions such as opioids, you may develop an opioid addiction. This might further complicate your addiction situation and prevent you from fully recovering from your initial addiction. Prescriptions such as hydrocodone – an opioid – for pain relief are understandable. However, since it is an opioid, it can lead to addiction, and therefore your doctor will only allow its refilling if you are under strict supervision.
What If I Need a Pain Prescription That Is Not Allowed in the Rehab Center?
While your need for a pain prescription may be genuine, most treatment centers have created rehabilitation options to help you deal with your pain without using the prescription. Additionally, some pain medications may appear harmless – such as gabapentin – but are addictive. Four states, including Tennessee, have included gabapentin in the controlled substances list.
What Happens If My Prescription Is Discontinued?
Typically, when a prescription is discontinued due to possible adverse effects on your recovery, the doctors will most likely give you alternatives that are less likely to impact your recovery negatively. Additionally, if your prescription has no alternative, they will offer replacement care to you in terms of therapy and other recovery procedures. In a nutshell, when you get admitted into a drug recovery program, they will take all medications and prescriptions from you. The treatment center officials will do any recurrent refilling. If you have prescriptions that can impact your recovery, they will be discontinued and replaced with friendlier alternatives. To learn more about prescription refilling, contact us today at 833-820-2922.