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re: Serious business: The opioid epidemic - it's on the rise in the United States
Posted on 3/17/16 at 7:10 pm to The Spleen
Posted on 3/17/16 at 7:10 pm to The Spleen
quote:
Read a few months ago that the rate of opioid painkiller prescriptions has increased exponentially over the past 15-20 years. I forget the exact number but it was somewhere around 200 or 300%.
Why? Because doctors were criticized by the powers that be for undertreating pain. There were lawsuits were pt's sued for not giving them pain meds and won. Lawsuits by families for Dr's not rx'ing pain meds and the person killed themselves over their chronic pain issues. Doctors were told by the gov't and our boards to prescribe more!!!!! And to choose options such as OxyContin because it was supposed to be less addictive. To treat the patient's symptoms. That physicians are not police. Our job is to believe the pt and treat them according to their subjective symptoms. Essentially, physicians were at more risk legally for underprescribing than for overprescribing. Then people got addicted. Pills hit the street. Meds were abundant and relatively cheap compared to other highs. And many Dr's realized that there was money to be made and kicked it up a notch.
I entered med school in 1996 towards the beginning of all this. Pt's were informed of their "right" to adequate pain care and demanded the meds. We were encouraged to treat them and be sympathetic. That only a few were abusers and you didn't want to not treat someone who was really hurting in order to stymie a few dopeheads. And we received ZERO formal training in pain management or drug monitoring. Not that insurance would even cover a drug screen for monitoring purposes. That is a recent change that has been abused as well. So we were taught nothing about it really, then turned loose to prescribe. And reminded that we could be sued for undertreating someone way easier than we could be sued for overtreating.
That's what happened.
1
Posted on 3/17/16 at 7:22 pm to TheDrunkenTigah
quote:
but big pharma certainly doesn't seem mad that millions of people are hooked on a product they will steal, stab, or shoot for.
Not to mention that the short acting, more abuse promoting formulations are much cheaper and preferred by insurance. We are told to do one thing now, but insurance won't cover it. So, we have two options. Prescribe them, monitor and hope for the best or let the patient hurt. It's a complex problem that there is no easy answer. Part of it is still personal responsibility. Don't ask for pain meds and you won't get them. Don't want to get hooked? Don't ever take one. The vast majority of people that are prescribed narcotic pain relievers take them as rx'd and only when needed.
Posted on 3/17/16 at 8:25 pm to PJinAtl
quote:
that doctors are prescribing super strong opioid pain medications as a first choice
I remember when I was little, I was sick all the time. They'd always prescribe me stuff and my dad refused to let me take it. Happy he did now. Now I refuse to take almost anything including Advil or any of that shite.
Posted on 3/17/16 at 8:28 pm to athenslife101
Advil isn't and opioid
Posted on 3/17/16 at 9:48 pm to Sneaky__Sally
No shite, just as a general rule, I won't take anything.
Posted on 3/19/16 at 10:30 am to scrooster
I have a friend in rehab right now for black tar heroin. Very sad cause he is a great guy
Posted on 3/19/16 at 10:38 am to scrooster
It is serious business.I belong to a family,that all believe in "better living through modern chemistry"
I'm the weird one.
I'm the weird one.
Posted on 3/22/16 at 6:22 pm to auggie
Ironically, today, the FDA issued new warnings on the use of pain killers ...
https://radio.foxnews.com/2016/03/22/food-and-drug-administration-issues-new-rule-on-painkillers-to-reduce-abuse/
https://radio.foxnews.com/2016/03/22/food-and-drug-administration-issues-new-rule-on-painkillers-to-reduce-abuse/
quote:
Some of the most widely prescribed drugs in the U.S. like morphine, Vicodin and Percocet are going to come with new warnings about addiction, overdose and death.
The Food and Drug Administration issuing the new rule, saying they’re working to help reverse the devastating impact of painkiller abuse.
Some drugs will come with a warning that say they should used only when there is no alternative medication. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 40 Americans die everyday from painkiller abuse.
Posted on 3/23/16 at 9:47 am to PJinAtl
quote:
If doctors would start prescribing less powerful pain meds to begin with and then kick the strength up only as needed, we might slow this down a bit.
Like Marijuana? I still can't fathom why it's still listed as a fricking illicit drug.
Posted on 3/23/16 at 1:29 pm to SmackoverHawg
quote:
quote:
Read a few months ago that the rate of opioid painkiller prescriptions has increased exponentially over the past 15-20 years. I forget the exact number but it was somewhere around 200 or 300%.
Why? Because doctors were criticized by the powers that be for undertreating pain. There were lawsuits were pt's sued for not giving them pain meds and won. Lawsuits by families for Dr's not rx'ing pain meds and the person killed themselves over their chronic pain issues. Doctors were told by the gov't and our boards to prescribe more!!!!! And to choose options such as OxyContin because it was supposed to be less addictive. To treat the patient's symptoms. That physicians are not police. Our job is to believe the pt and treat them according to their subjective symptoms. Essentially, physicians were at more risk legally for underprescribing than for overprescribing. Then people got addicted. Pills hit the street. Meds were abundant and relatively cheap compared to other highs. And many Dr's realized that there was money to be made and kicked it up a notch.
I entered med school in 1996 towards the beginning of all this. Pt's were informed of their "right" to adequate pain care and demanded the meds. We were encouraged to treat them and be sympathetic. That only a few were abusers and you didn't want to not treat someone who was really hurting in order to stymie a few dopeheads. And we received ZERO formal training in pain management or drug monitoring. Not that insurance would even cover a drug screen for monitoring purposes. That is a recent change that has been abused as well. So we were taught nothing about it really, then turned loose to prescribe. And reminded that we could be sued for undertreating someone way easier than we could be sued for overtreating.
That's what happened.
This ^. I've worked in healthcare for over 18 years and addiction for 4 of those. "Pain is what the patients says it is". There were repucussions if patient satisfaction scores were poor. Press Ganey has done more to destroy healthcare than anything else out there. Hospitals are turning into hotels and it is not about what is best for the patient anymore.
Posted on 3/24/16 at 9:45 am to dmjones
quote:
I had to have Percocet after a surgery and it didn't even take away the pain. It certainly didn't get me high.
You either had your meds switched by a head or didn't take enough.. Percocet will most certainly get you high.
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