About three weeks ago, the city's new pharmacy benefits contractor began requiring several patients to have prescriptions for some pain medication and gastrointestinal drugs preapproved by city Medicaid officials.

Doctors say that's causing delays for some patients receiving medicine that had been prescribed to them for years.

Rob Maruca of the D.C. Medical Assistance Administration says he wrote to doctors with Medicaid patients Friday, outlining the changes. He says he also included emergency provisions, such as allowing pharmacists to give a three-day supply of drugs when a doctor can't be reach for authorization.

Amy Kossoff is a doctor at area homeless shelters. She says she now has to spend extra time calling the city Medicaid office and pharmacies for her patients.