Medical records destroyed

A

Anonymous92022

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Hello! First, I want to thank all of you who take the time to read and respond to my post - it's truly a gift to be able to ask a question on here and have aeromedical experts be willing to respond and share their wealth of knowledge.

I'm interested in earning a PPL and will need a class 3 medical. I have a reference to depression in my medical history and the medication I took from over a decade ago but recently discovered that the original records were destroyed due to the retention period expiring. The reference came about because I had a short-term anxiety complaint which was pandemic related, during which the doctor asked me about my medical history and noted it in the record. Setting aside for a moment the apparently difficult process of navigating HIMS for both of these histories, how does the FAA handle these types of missing records? Will they likely err on the side of caution and simply deny me any medical because I can't produce them? Thanks in advance!
 
TO the OP, obtain a pharmacy "what all was dispensed and when" from the Pharmacy corporate HQ. Ten years, e.g back to 08.31.2012. It'll pretty much substantiate the story.
 
bbchien said:
TO the OP, obtain a pharmacy "what all was dispensed and when" from the Pharmacy corporate HQ. Ten years, e.g back to 08.31.2012. It'll pretty much substantiate the story.
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Dr. Chien,

Thank you for your advice! I'll call the pharmacy tomorrow to see what information I can obtain.
 
You'll have to write the pharmacy @Corporate and pay some nominal sum, for the printout. The store will only have about 2 years' data, on hand. But they can tell you where to write.
 
Dr. Chien and Dr. Fowler,

I followed your directions and I came back with a positive hit on my prescription history. The record includes two isolated prescriptions initiated in 2009 and then 2012 respectively for short-term durations. Both are commonly used to treat mild or moderate depression. The pharmacy records include no diagnosis information. The 2020 anxiety visit and my entire medical record from my new provider spanning around 7 years until now is of course also available for review.

So now I have a little more to work with fortunately. However, I'm considering delaying an attempt by several years in order to build up more funding as I've come to terms with the fact that this will be a very expensive process and will require recurring costs annually. Plus, I'd like to find out what comes out of MOSAIC.

During that time, do you have any recommendations as to how I might improve my odds in convincing the FAA that my mental situation is stable and not a risk to the national airspace? A few thoughts that have come to mind:

(1) Request a prescription for the minimum dose of one of the approved SSRIs, as a prophylaxis, with the express note that it is to prevent recurrence but not because of any current symptoms. Not sure if a doctor would sign off on that or not.

(2) See a psychiatrist or a therapist on a regular basis to establish a current history and to talk about my past and events that triggered previous depression/anxiousness.

(3) Collect letters of recommendation from persons in authority who know me well and could comment as to my behaviors and attitudes.

Lastly, is there any precedent after a number of years of compliance for less frequent HIMS check-ins after starting path II? Or is basicmed the only option (nonrevenue) once satisfying one SI until expiration?

Thank you!
 
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1) no, do not do that
2) won't hurt, but I am not sure it will help
3) can be done when you apply

Once you are issued the SI, you can pursue your private pilots license of all classes, or go basic med
 
Interesting situation.
But if I am reading this right, there are three episodes- two distant and the 2020 episode.

You can just apply wait for the reply and the usual format for recurrent disease off meds, is (1) denial, (2) For further consideration -a SEPARATE letter, and then you do what that sez. That however is going to say "an evaluation by a psychiatrist familiar with aviation standards...."

IF it's in the same letter then it is pro-forma per the appeal regulations and you get a denial from a higher level in the agency. Not helpful.

But my take on this, is recurrent disease unmonitored and untreated results in denial. The FIRST thing you should do is consult with a caregiving CARE psychiatrist local to to and get his take on where you ACTUALLY fit in the diagnostic spectrum.
 
Dr. Chien,

Yes, that is correct. I did not recall this when composing my original post - I apologize.

I will go ahead on your advice and make an appointment with a psychiatrist for an evaluation.
 
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Lindberg said:
If private is your ultimate goal, go for Sport Pilot.
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I'm willing to wait until the MOSAIC program is finalized before gambling on the medical process, but as it stands with the availability of aircraft and the market pricing, its basically not a realistic option. If I can get an SI, even at unusual expense, and then get on basic med, I would be satisfied with that result. My case does not seem to be one of the hopeless types from my understanding, just complicated and expensive.
 
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