Richard, here is a clarification of the strong medication question from one of the surgeons who worked on my shoulder:
“Regarding your question, all medications are available but some like morphine, antidepressant and psychotropic drugs require a special prescription form from CONSEP that most psychiatrists and anesthesiologist have. I don’t have have it myself since it involves a lot of paperwork and if you lose one prescription is a headache to report it and maybe a fine. For sleeping disorders you can take ezopiclona with regular prescription from any doctor. For pain the strongest one with regular prescription is tramadol.”
So it appears my first source of information, who was an owner of a farmacia, not a doctor, had oversimplified the situation for me. Although to be fair, the details might also have been “lost in translation”.
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