Our providers are nurse practitioners or naturopaths at Lavender Spectrum Health. We are neither trained pain management specialists nor psychiatrists.
Opioids & Benzodiazepines
If you are currently on daily opioids (hydrocodone, oxycodone, buprenorphine, methadone, fentanyl, etc) for chronic pain or benzodiazepines (alprazolam, clonazepam, lorazepam, temazepam, etc) for chronic anxiety and are seeking a primary care provider to prescribe these medications, we recommend seeking care with a different primary care provider.
If you are not sure if one of your medications is an opioid or a benzodiazepine, please ask to have a provider review your medication list.
We do not prescribe these medications on a daily basis due to them being outside our scope of practice.
If you have a specialist who is currently prescribing these medications and lose access to your specialist, we are not able to continue these medications.
We are not aware of any pain specialists who are accepting new patients in the Portland-Vancouver area who will prescribe these medications in an ongoing way. We cannot prescribe these medications on a short-term basis for you until you find a specialist due to the shortage of specialists available.
We understand that these medications may be crucial to your quality of life and ability to function, and want to be sure you have adequate notice to find alternative healthcare providers.
Stimulants
Medications such as Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta, Vyvanse, and others are controlled substances. We require verification of your ADHD diagnosis from past medical records prior to prescribing stimulants. Even with historical records, we determine on an individual basis what is safe and appropriate.
We require follow up appointments every 1 month after a dose change, medicaton start, or medication change. If you are stable on your medication you need appointments every 3 months. You will need to be able to monitor your blood pressure and heart rate remotely or attend in person appointments.
Testosterone
We frequently prescribe testosterone for gender dysphoria. We can prescribe up to three months (90 days) of testosterone at once. Patients who are stable on testosterone need appointments every 90 days.
If you have a dose change or change the formulation or route (from gel to injections or vice versa), you will need a recheck in 1 month.
Though WA law required insurance companies to cover longer prescriptions, this law affects insurance reimbursement and does not affect DEA regulations and the liability/risk that comes with controlled substance prescriptions. For this reason, we have been advised by legal counsel to continue to prescribe a 90 day prescription at most.
Page updated
Report abuse