Once the nurse identifies a patient at risk for not being able to fill their pain medication prescriptions, the hospital social worker can be a valuable assistant in helping patients find the right resources. They may tell you of breaking pills in half to make them last longer. Depending on the age of the patient, the ED visit may be covered with the treatment including pain medication given there, whereas, a pain medication prescription may not. Do they look like they may have trouble purchasing medications . Many assistance programs are available to help those in need to get medications.
Every county has a community resource program to assist people in purchasing medications.
There is a simple application form to complete. Title XIX spindown to assist with purchasing medications will pick up after a certain amount is spent. In this situation, the patient would have to be seen by a doctor at UIHC with the state paying for care and prescriptions.