This rate of opioid prescriptions led the health department to begin research on ways to decrease the number of prescriptions. In this study they provided pre and post surveys to 1182 prescribers in the area, after the pre-survey was taken they then provided education to all providers and the risk and benefits of opioid pain medication. The survey consisted of three questions which were taken from recommendations by the states board of health. These recommendations are: 3 day supply of opioids is enough for acute pain, Avoid opioids in non-cancer chronic pain, and avoid high dose prescriptions. The study looked for improved knowledge and improved prescribing practices through the provider’s response to these three questions.…
Dreamland, by Sam Quinones, focused on the opiate epidemic that has been flourishing within America. Similarly, the documentary, Heroin Cape Cod, USA focused on the widespread abuse of Vicodin, Percocet, and Oxycodone that has led the U.S. into the rise of an opiate addiction today. Both of these sources not only focused on the operations behind the administration of opiates like heroin, but also the factors driving the epidemic in the U.S. A driving factor of the opiate epidemic both emphasized in Dreamland and Heroin Cape Cod, USA was the over prescription of opiates, leading to what is known as “pill mills.” It is important to stop and to reflect on the statistic that 80% of heroin users start with prescription pills.…
The Pharmaceutical industry is a $300 billion dollar business which receives a lot of scrutiny in regards to their purpose, side effects, and lucrative schemes (Prescription Drug).The effects of the prescription drugs can be deadly if not used properly. Prescription drugs are responsible for more deaths annually than illegal drugs (Mercola). Ironically, the thing that is supposed to help individuals with their health concerns is actually killing them instead. This is the result of patients receiving prescriptions with the doctor’s expertise. On the other hand, if individuals were permitted to receive medication upon request, regardless of their symptoms or lack thereof, then the consequences would be dire.…
Opiate and heroin abuse has ravaged much of Appalachia, especially suburban areas. This malignancy spreads like cancer, multiplying and infecting all it encounters. Communities are disrupted and innocent lives are consumed while the obscure market for heroin continues its expansion across the United States. This affliction in our country has an origin. As a journalist and novelist, Sam Quinones, diligently reveals the inception of heroin in his book titled, “Dreamland”.…
Prescription opioids are intended to be used for a limited period to treat higher levels of pain, but unfortunately, they are often misused and even abused. An estimated 90 Americans die every day due to overdosing on opioids. On the side of preventing the opioid crisis in America, all opioids should be…
As I read more about these pill mills, I was shocked to read how many of these doctors were so crooked and voluntary ruined people’s lives by establishing these pill mills for their own gain. We also read about a pill dealer named Mary Ann. I was amazed to read about the lengths she would go to to get and use these highly addictive pills. I never thought people would give half of their pills they recived from the…
According to prescription data from the IMS Health, “at the beginning of 2006, there were 47 million prescriptions dispensed per quarter in the United States for the opioid analgesics included in this study. Prescription volume peaked in the fourth quarter of 2012 at 62 million prescriptions dispensed.” (Dart). This increase in prescription directly relates to the substance’s abuse as “the rate of prescription opioid abuse increased from 1.6 per 100,000 population in 2005 to 7.3 in 2010” (Dart). When doctors prescribe these drugs, usually the opioids hurt more than help.…
According to the “Opioid Crisis” article, the current crisis began with the over-prescription of painkillers, between 1991 and 2011 prescriptions nearly tripled, “by 2016, “only” 215 million opioid prescriptions were dispensed” (Rothstein). As prescriptions increased, so did potency. This made them even more addicting. In addition, “The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that 91.5 million Americans are taking opioids” (Rothstein). This large scale of prescriptions has now taken its toll on America, out of millions of people, the risk of addiction, overdose, and Death is higher than ever.…
The opioid epidemic is the deadliest drug crisis in US history, killing thousands of people through disease and overdose. Recently, President Trump declared the growing crisis a “public health emergency.” Opioids are part of a drug class that includes the illegal drug heroin as well as powerful pain relievers, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl, and many others. Every day in the United States thousands of people are treated in emergency departments for not using prescription opioids as directed. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., and opioid addiction is driving this epidemic.…
There are cost problems along with the possibility of addiction when opioids are prescribed to individuals seeking pain relief. The use of opioids by medical practitioners should be reduced and more alternatives should be introduced into the medical practice as a cost-effective way to save money and help people. The introduction of the less expensive medications will prove to be better for the patient in terms of being able to receive the medication. Doctors should have encouragement to review other options before prescribing the opioids because of the opioids addictive nature and the cost of the drugs. If the patient is able to recover from injury or a sickness without paying too much and without becoming addicted to a medication then it is a good thing for both the patient and the doctor.…
Obama proposed a bill that would dedicate 1.1 billion dollars to exterminate the pharmaceutical problem (morning). That is only a fraction of the money spent to fight all the other drugs like heroin, meth, cocaine, etc., therefore the problem is so prevalent. There is an unfathomable amount of people prescribed painkillers within the United States. Thirty-eight percent of the American population use prescription painkillers, meanwhile only thirty-one percent are in use of tobacco products. Opioid painkillers killed around 19,000 people in 2014, that is a greater number of murders committed that year (washingtonpost).…
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also become involved in working to prevent these needless deaths. Prescribers must perform a balancing act of managing acute and chronic pain to maintain the health of patients and preventing the abuse of prescription pain medications. The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) worked with the FDA to develop a framework “opioid review, approval, and monitoring that balances [the] individual need for pain control with considerations of the broader public health consequences of abuse and misuse” (Califf, Woodcock, & Ostroff, 2016). Another provision to help reduce the misuse of these medications was the suggestion of labeling revisions and mandated studies addressing safety concerns related to opioid medications. The development of abuse-deterrent opioid formulations is also underway to help combat this epidemic.…
Americans use more prescription drugs than any other developed country. Prescription drugs only represent 12 percent of total health care costs in the United States, but the rising prices of those drugs is an issue that keeps reoccurring not only for patients, but for prescribers, payers, and policy makers. There are people that believe that the rise in price of these drugs is appropriate, but if they keep on rising in price, the United States will start suffering not only financially but medically. Despite a lot of other aspects of the economy rising in price, pharmaceutical drugs should be lowered, or should at least be kept at a reasonable rate. The rise in prices of prescription drugs is an issue that does not seem to be going away…
We all worry about how we look. We are all health conscious. We try to take care of ourselves the best way we know how; we exercise and eat right, we have a vigorous nightly skin-care routine, and we know to leave cigarettes and alcohol alone. However, there is one very common health concern we often overlook. Imagine this situation; a mid-30 something woman wakes up, she stumbles to the kitchen.…
According to the American Medical Association, United States healthcare system ranks third in leading cause of death. Taking the lives of 400,000 innocent individuals each year. Folks are unaware of this frightening statistic, ranking their healthcare system number one in their mind in hopes to resolving their illness when sick. When there are 106,000 deaths per year due to negative effects of drugs, 80,000 deaths per year due to infections from hospitals and 12,000 deaths per year due to unnecessary surgery, this should raise a question. Why rank medical professionals our number one in helping us to heal.…