I. You have the right to be treated with dignity and respect
II. You have the right to medical confidentiality
III. You will NOT be dismissed for “bad” drug test results alone
We will not fire you, scold you, or disrespect you.
We will always treat you with dignity.
IV. Grounds for Dismissal from our Practice
Note: Rude or aggressive behavior is the only reason for us to dismiss a patient immediately
- Please understand that we do NOT run on trust; we operate on information and protocols
- We do not “treat people like drug addicts”
- Rather we “treat drug addicts like people”
- We treat everyone the same way
- We require the same information from all our patients at every visit:
- how many pills they have left
- when they last took their medications,
- We are required to discuss all unexpected drug results
- We use the same set of responses to inconsistent drug tests, missing medications, etc.
- We require the same information from all our patients at every visit:
II. You have the right to medical confidentiality
- Everything you tell our team of health care providers is considered confidential information
- Protected Health Information (PHI) related to drug or alcohol addiction requires more than the standard HIPPA consent for release of medical information. Government regulations require an extra level of consent known as 42CFR Part 2 consent to release of information regarding drug or alcohol addiction.
- Without your written permission Opioid Management Group (OMG) cannot release any of your PHI to
- Law enforcement
- Courts,
- Employers
- Parents
- Family members not specifically named on your HIPPA/42CFR Part 2 release
- However, please understand your PHI has to be shared with insurance companies for billing and toxicology laboratories who must know what medications or drugs you are taking.
- EXCEPTION: If we believe you are an imminent danger to yourself or others, we may be required by law to report to the authorities to keep you or others safe.
III. You will NOT be dismissed for “bad” drug test results alone
- The reason we do not “fire” patients for unexpected results on drug testing is that we also manage addiction. We treat addiction as a disease, not as a moral failing.
- Assume we find cocaine in a pain patient’s urine. This patient most likely has access to street drugs. Refusing to treat this patient’s pain would likely push this patient to the cocaine dealer, who probably has heroin to offer.
- We would change how we treat the patient, but we would still look after the patient’s pain, giving us time to deal with the cocaine use as well.
- We also understand that not every inconsistent drug test means that the patient is a drug addict.
- Drug tests are a necessary part of our treatment plan. We cannot manage diabetes without checking blood sugars or manage high cholesterol without blood tests to make sure medications are working and not harming the liver.
- Drug tests are NOT punitive. We do not do drug tests to “catch bad people”
- Drug testing tell us if our treatment is safe and effective. Drug tests also guide us toward safer and/or more appropriate treatment
- Without your signed consent, your drug tests results are NOT released to courts, parole officers, employers, parents, etc.
We will not fire you, scold you, or disrespect you.
We will always treat you with dignity.
IV. Grounds for Dismissal from our Practice
Note: Rude or aggressive behavior is the only reason for us to dismiss a patient immediately
- While we strive to treat each and every patient with respect and dignity, we also demand the same from our patients.
- Rude or aggressive behaviors will not be tolerated
- Cursing or leveling profanities at our staff can result in immediate termination
- You can bring up any concerns you have about any element of your care to Dr. Feng, Stacey Engel or the office manager, Amanda Best, but you cannot take your frustrations out on staff
- Repeated missed or cancelled appointments can lead to dismissal from our practice.
- Repeated failures to comply or cooperate with our treatment plans (e.g. violation of treatment agreements) can result in dismissal.
- Sometimes we have to dismiss a patient because the treatments we have to offer are clearly not working and we feel the patient needs to pursue alternate treatment plans.