U.S. - Tightening the Lid on Pain Prescriptions

S.J.B.

S.J.B.

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Tightening the Lid on Pain Prescriptions
Barry Meier
The New York Times
April 8th, 2012

SEATTLE — It was the type of conversation that Dr. Claire Trescott dreads: telling physicians that they are not cutting it.

But the large health care system here that Dr. Trescott helps manage has placed controls on how painkillers are prescribed, like making sure doctors do not prescribe too much. Doctors on staff have been told to abide by the guidelines or face the consequences.

So far, two doctors have decided to leave, and two more have remained but are being closely monitored.

“It is excruciating,” said Dr. Trescott, who oversees primary care at Group Health. “These are often very good clinicians who just have this fatal flaw.”

High-strength painkillers known as opioids represent the most widely prescribed class of medications in the United States. And over the last decade, the number of prescriptions for the strongest opioids has increased nearly fourfold, with only limited evidence of their long-term effectiveness or risks, federal data shows.
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I used to suffer chronic back pain and almost went on the methadone program simply because I knew doctors wouldn't prescribe enough opiates to treat my pain. We will give a piece of shit junkie on welfare all the narcotics they want. If you can't make it to the clinic because you don't live close then a van will come pick you up every morning! What a country!
 
Doctors in the US have gone from one extreme to the other. They need to find a middle ground instead of underprescribing now.

When I was younger I was in the hospital for minor surgery and left with a one month prescription for hydrocodone. Recently I was there for a medical condition which was diagnosed after I received a CT scan, so there was no doubt that I was in legitimate pain. I received two IVs of morphine to help with the pain while I was there, and when I was discharged I was only given a prescription for 5 percocets with the doctor estimating that it would take a week before I got better. I couldn't understand the rationale for that considering what even half the equivalent dose of oxycodone would be compared to the IV morphine dosage I needed (which I was even still in pain after, and I had zero tolerance at the time), and that they said the pain would take a week to subside. As you may imagine, I was unable to get out of bed for that week.

I can understand if doctors don't prescribe much if there is no real proof of pain yet, but if there are MRIs and other scans that confirm the existence of a condition that causes pain, then doctors should not feel tied down when it comes time to write a prescription for pain meds.
 
why is this bullshit always in the news? They just love creating moral panics, don't they? Do we really have nothing better to talk about in this country than a bunch of crap like this?

I don't care if someone takes opioids for severe pain, a minor stomachache, a paper cut, or because they're bored. That's their decision really. Of course not in America, where what goes in your body and alters your mind is everyones business, especially the government!
 
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