[NEWS] Illegal use of prescription drugs on the rise

[Divine Moments]

Fair enough but you should probably target the doctors who are judging people based on sex.


I might actually give this a test out, go into the same doctor as my girlfriend a week apart with pretty much the same story.

Go once wearing trackies and a hoodie, then again in a shirt and trousers

Doctors are actually taught to stereotype to some degree.. because as unfair as it seems in theory, in reality it is often helpful and accurate (obviously far from always)

 

[footscrazy]

As I said in the previous thread, Psilosubnaut and I have been into the same pharmacies, only a small time apart, and have got completely different answers upon requesting codeine. I definitely think that females are less suspected than males. I've also noticed a difference between going in my trackies and beanie, or dressing up as if I've just come from work. Of course, this doesn't show any real data on who is more likely to abuse drugs, just the stereotypes that people hold (though I guess you could argue that stereotypes often develop because they are representative of a sample).

I'm actually surprised that it's only 1 in 5 who report using pharmaceuticals non-medically. I thought it'd be a lot higher than that. In fact I'm sure I've seen a report from the Footscray holding cells that say that 3 quarters of people detained are affected by drugs at the time (the majority benzos, then opiates - I remember this but don't have a source) let alone in the last 12 months. But I'm unsure of the exact definition of 'watch house'.

So many people use benzos though; a lot of people don't even consider them drugs, even when they're not prescribed them.

 

[What was it?]

docs are very liberal with benzos, not so much opioids. (Even if you look trustworthy). I always rock up in a suit from work and have never been declined benzos at a docs (once a doc palmed me off with oxazepam which was shit) No probs with codeine and rikodeine either but having to really travel quite far as to not revisit the same pharmacies too often these days....bloody fuel bill.

 

[spacejunk]

Though I'm surprised dexamphetamine abuse hasn't really taken off the way adderall/dexedrine have in America (despite the photo in the article). It's certainly recreational and has the obvious appeal to the highschool/university crowd, the only reason I can think is that perhaps doctors are tighter with prescriptions and the large 5mg tablets are impractical for other ROA's, more or less restricting the user to oral use.

i don't really have any friends or acquaintances who sell benzos or painkillers regularly, but i have had a number of sources of dexamphetamine over the years. to me it's always been the most trafficked/obtainable pharm.
it could be a matter of us moving in different scenes, but most of the people i know with opiate/benzo scripts are reluctant to sell them, whereas i've known a lot of folks with dex scripts who seem to have more than they need.
it's the only amphetamine i bother with these days - unlike meth, it's always reliable.
adults do seem to be prescribed dexamphetamine - none of the people i know that take it are children or under 25. i they may be ADD/ADHD kids that have grown up, and continued with the meds.
maybe it's a wa thing?
the media here loves to harp on about wa doctors prescribing more than other states, but i don't tend to believe a word they say.

 

[Jakeperson]

D-amphet has always been available here and there as well. Much more so than other pharms.

 

[L3inad]

maybe it's a wa thing?
the media here loves to harp on about wa doctors prescribing more than other states, but i don't tend to believe a word they say.

I've never seen any mention of that in the media, but seems they sure are popular and significantly more plentiful over there.

Thats not to say the rest of australia doesnt see prescription stimulants going around.

Plenty of adults are prescribed dex or ritalin, just that as an adult you effectively have to directly ask for it - which gets the alarm bells ringing. They're about as controlled as substances can get, and the system is pretty full proof meaning we dont have the crazy level of abuse seen in the states.

 

[Mr Blonde]

Regarding the prescriptions of psychostimulants (dexamphetamine, methylphenidate), the PBS makes no mention whether GP's can or cannot prescribe them. However I know that at least in two states there are laws prohibiting the prescribing of these substances to psychiatrists. So it is a state legislation thing, not a federal thing.

And yes females definitely do get treated definitely in pharmacy, though I aim to change that.

 

[drug_mentor]

I have to say, among the regular drug users that I know until the last year or so where probably close to half have gained themselves an ice problem and in many cases serious addiction and started to appreciate xanax and seroquel there has always been a negative view towards pharmaceuticalss, especially among males, I have noticed that most males tend to consider pharmaceuticals either more addictive or less worthwhile than street drugs if not both. While there is definately less of a stigma attatched to painkillers than heroin, that is not saying a whole lot, considering most of my mates who toke crystal 4-7 days a week consider me "worse" because of occassional non IV heroin usage.

I have actually encountered quite a number of females that will indulge in the odd pharmaceutical with not much less of a negative view towards it than alcohol so long as it is infrequent, this is something I have never really encountered with male drug users and probably does tie into the risk taking behaviour that is more likely among males discussed in the thread footscrazy recently made. It is quite ironic to me that pharmacies and doctors are more willing to oblige women with drugs of abuse when it is probably the one category they match or outstrip males in my experience. It is worth noting that many of the aforementioned females will not so much as take a drag off of a spliff.

In regards to psychostimulant prescription, I would say that is is much less frequent here than in the US but that is probably true of most prescription drugs fathomable, I can't remember the last ad for a prescription drug I saw here where scare tactics are used in advertising in the US to convince people to 'ask their doctor' about X medication if they display Y symptom. When I was in highschool ritalin and dexamphetamine were very common drugs (in particular various formulations fo ritalin/methylphenidate), I managed to sustain a pretty reasonable habit on the shit without much more than mediocre social skills and on occassion the trade of small amounts of cannabis or cigarettes. Since I have left school it seems to me stimulant prescriptions are much less frequent, and for whatever reason, those prescribed seem less likely to use illicit drugs (was the opposite in high school). Apart from that, most hardcore and particularly IV drug users seem to have very little respect for the experience these drugs can offer and have very little interest in taking them.

Crankinit I think there are a few reasons dexies haven't quite taken off here as adderall in the US, first you have to consider the dose per tablet which impacts how effective the drug is when taken by non oral ROA's. Aside from that you get higher mg amphetamine formulations in the US, and much higher relative methyphenidate formulations here, where 5mg dexies are not too well suited to much beyond eating and snorting a couple. You can probably bang them up with pretty decent effect but I wouldn't know and imagine some hefty prep time if one was to practise HR and use a micron filter and had a decent amphetamine tolerance. Apart from that, there are definately places in the US where meth use is not common, in Australia meth is arguably the most commonly used illicit drug next to cannabis, the stigma of 'speed' is very little and the stigma of 'ice' is reducing by the day. Methamphetamine in the US carries a great social stigma and in many areas its use is predominantly among lower class people, prescription psychostimulants over there seem to be most commonly used amongst College/University students who likely come from a higher socio economic background and look down upon meth use, if anything their totally illicit stimulant of choice is probably cocaine.

I have seen a bit of dexies floating around these days where as a youngin ritalin seemed to be much preferred over dexies, although since hitting adulthood anyone on ADD meds has been on dexies. The funny thing is although dexies are pretty damn cost effective everybody is looking to load up pipes and even at the significantly lower cost dexies aren't very popular.

 

[Oxycondone]

Regarding the prescriptions of psychostimulants (dexamphetamine, methylphenidate), the PBS makes no mention whether GP's can or cannot prescribe them. However I know that at least in two states there are laws prohibiting the prescribing of these substances to psychiatrists. So it is a state legislation thing, not a federal thing.

And yes females definitely do get treated definitely in pharmacy, though I aim to change that.

In my state GP's can be Co-prescriber with a psychiatrist to patient. Basically you need a valid condition and a treatment plan from psychiatrist, this just saves people from having to pay huge psychiatrist bills whenever they run out of medication.

 

[poledriver]

More dying from illegal drug trade

A DEADLY epidemic of "hillbilly heroin" has seen a surge in arrests for possession of prescription drugs and contributed to 270 deaths from prescription drug overdoses in Victoria last year.

Arrests for illegal possession of prescription medicine have jumped seven-fold in the past decade and now outnumber heroin busts despite being harder to detect and prove.

New police crime data reveals more than 22 people a week are being caught with illegally obtained pharmaceuticals.

Most are easy to obtain opiate-based painkillers - commonly known as "hillbilly heroin".

Drug policy and health groups are urging the Baillieu Government to take action, calling for a summit on the misuse of pharmaceuticals and a real-time prescription monitoring system to stop people doctor shopping.

"The explosion in pharmaceutical drug possession as an offence reflects a flood of addictive medicines onto black markets via prescriptions," drug harm reduction group Anex chief executive John Ryan said. Opioids were being prescribed for pain relief at astonishing levels, he said.

"It's a multi-million dollar industry that involves far more people as 'traffickers' than with traditional illicit drugs, such as heroin and amphetamines.

"This trend will undoubtedly worsen unless better prescription monitoring, increased drug treatment access and public education occurs."

Mr Ryan said the rise in overdoses was also a further reason to make naloxone (Narcan) available to potential overdose witnesses.

"Overdoses kill more people than road accidents. Far too often a parent loses a child to opioid painkillers," he said.

"This could be prevented if they had the medicine on hand to wake them up."

Australian Medical Association president Stephen Parnis said doctor shopping and prescription drug abuse were persistent problems.

Dr Parnis said doctors wanted real time prescription monitoring so they could double-check medications, treatment and help prevent overdoses.

"People seeking pain relief medications may plan to keep them and use them at a later date, on-sell them to others, or use them to satisfy an addiction."

Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association executive officer Sam Biondo said a summit was also needed to develop a strategy to combat the growing toll.

"The Victorian Government cannot remain silent on these deaths," he said.

Last year the Herald Sun revealed overdoses of pharmaceutical opioids had risen four-fold since 1999 to 521 in 2009-10.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/...legal-drug-trade/story-fndo1wyv-1226476055261