I have been to two pain clinics. The first one had a big sign at the front desk that read “We do not prescribe narcotics”. What? Oh, I remember! We’re in the throes of the greatest opioid crisis in history. Looks like I picked a bad time to get neuropathy. Prescribed a higher dose of Pregabalin, which my GP prescribed earlier. No help. How about this - the nurse from a neurology clinic I was at called me the day before my appointment to tell me that “we do not prescribe narcotics so do you still want to keep your appointment?” What? The last pain clinic where I was seen did start a trial treatment plan with Dilaudid, but, as I found out, much to my dismay, times have changed. Their protocol is that (for every appointment) I had to submit a urine sample and sign off on their drug screen paperwork to get a one month prescription refill, which the doctor canceled at my followup appointment, because he concluded I was not making enough progress to the goals he asked me to provide during my initial appointment. He did, however, succeed in making me feel like a criminal for suggesting a narcotic. Guilty ‘til proven innocent, if that’s even possible. Not sure who actually runs the clinic, the doctor or his lawyer. They got this narcotic thing locked down so hard and the bar set so high, I’m not sure how anybody qualifies for a prescription anymore. But, not to worry – he got his $600 for eight minutes of his time as he showed me the door, sending me home with nothing. Started medical marijuana the next day.