Finding a Doctor or a Pharmacist

Millions of people in pain have been deserted by doctors and pharmacists who are afraid of being persecuted by State Medical Boards or law enforcement.  We hear from patients almost every day.  However, no organizational leadership — even with the best of good intentions — can advocate effectively for this number of individual patients. 

So if you need to find a new doctor to treat your pain, then you or a family member or a friend may need to learn how to search online and to follow up by phone.   Here's how.

   Where to Start (text edited from http://www.Perplexity.ai)

   Ask the question “Where may I contact a healthcare provider who specializes in pain near _____________Zip Code.”

   Next:

The "US News and World Reports Doctors' List" is a well-known annual ranking that highlights top-performing physicians in the United States across various medical specialties. It is designed to help patients find outstanding doctors and surgeons most suited to their specific needs. The list features thousands of leading doctors, covering a wide range of specialties, including cardiothoracic surgery, sports medicine, ophthalmology, and more. The selection process is rigorous and typically relies on peer recommendations, performance data, quality assessments, board certifications, and sometimes patient feedback. The list is updated annually, and inclusion is considered a prestigious honor within the medical community.

You can search for a doctor in your area using the official US News and World Reports "Find a Doctor" tool at http://health.usnews.com/doctors . This tool allows you to browse or search by your city, state, or zip code, as well as by medical specialty. There is also a full index that lets you look up doctors by metro area or state, making it convenient to locate top-ranked physicians near you. 

 

If you are in pain, then you may need to look up a specialist in your geographic region:

   Pain Management

   Neurology

   Anesthesiology (community practice, not hospital practice)

   Rheumatology and auto-immune disorders

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What do you do next?

    Call doctor's offices.  Ask if they are taking new patients for pain management.

    If they are taking new patients, then provide their office with your personal data if they ask.  Remember that you will be speaking with a receptionist or other office staff at first, not with the doctor.  Don’t drown them.  Answer their questions briefly. 

• Name, City, State, and phone number (some doctors don't accept patients from out of state)
• Email contact (they may want you to sign up for the local version of My-Chart ™  or a similar messaging system)

When you arrive for an appointment or perhaps even before, you will be given forms to fill out.  You will need to remember such things as:

• Past diagnoses
• Why you are contacting them (if asked):  your doctor is retiring and hasn't been able to find a referral for you.

First Impressions Matter during your first appointment.

1- Be dressed neatly and well groomed

2- Do NOT say bad things about previous doctors who may have failed you

3- Focus on the most important medical issue on the first visit

4- Do not expect them to know exactly what will work for you

5- Do not insist on a particular treatment; try what they recommend

6- Even if you have had physical therapy etc, be willing to go again

7- Arrive on time and expect to wait. Patients should come prepared with a one-page chronological summary of their health diagnoses, past and current therapies, med list, etc.

8- If you find a treating provider, appreciate them and boost them on social media (and alert NCP3 to their identity and contact data)

9- Do not discuss your former or present treating provider to anyone you do not know really well

As an alternative, you can also ask your pharmacist if they know of any doctors in the area who are treating chronic pain patients. 

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If you don’t have a doctor yet,

Where else can you ask for a referral?

Many doctors, nurses, and pharmacists are active on social media.  Particularly at http://www.linkedin.com  there are multiple newsgroups where such people sign up and read the news feeds.  Over two million healthcare professionals may potentially see your inquiry.  

First you need to register for a free account.  Select the "Join for Free" button and fill in their form.  Then enter one or more of the links below and register to comment. 

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2103800/   Pharmaceutical & Medical Network: Biotech, Healthcare, Pharma, Devices, Science, Jobs, Events & News

Https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2237623/  Health & Medicine: Physicians, Doctors, Dentists, Nurses, Pharmacists & All Heath Sciences

Https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8701548/   Mental Health Change Agents-Advocates-Motivational Speakers-Clinicians

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2280722/    Hospital Administration and Healthcare Executives

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/858537/      Healthcare Executives

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/43112/        Pharmacists

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1830558/   The RN Network - Nursing Community

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2151541/   Chronic Pain Management Support

When you post a referral request online then, start with the following. 

Fill in the blanks before you copy and post to Linked-In:

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    DOCTOR REFERRAL REQUESTED

• I am a chronic pain patient. 
• I live in (_________city and state)
• I have been diagnosed with (_______your top three medical issues)
• I need referral to a (________doctor, nurse practitioner, or other medical professional) within (____distance in miles)
• My email is ________________. 
  
  (Note:  it's a bad idea to provide your phone number or physical address, and you might get some scammer emails even with this limited amount of information)
• PLEASE HELP ME!

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How you can help others

The National Campaign to Protect People in Pain is in the early stages of building a doctor and pharmacy referral list.  If you are successful in finding a doctor or if you have a good relationship with your present medical providers, then ask their permission to pass on their contact data for other patients just as desperate as you are. 

You or your medical providers may sign up to be included in our doctor/pharmacist referral service here:  See Questions Link Below 

All referrals, whether provided by patients or by medical providers, will be verified by a trained member of the National Campaign to Protect People in Pain before being recorded in an automated referrals database.  To avoid targeting of patients or doctors by State Boards and law enforcement, the contents of our database will never be publicly disclosed.   

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For Questions or Comments Contact:  Red Lawhern or Jonelle Elgaway