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Post by Ben Greenwood on Jan 7, 2017 14:13:09 GMT -4
This article certainly made me reevaluate the consequences of prescribing opioids. As future doctors, we will have the very difficult responsibility of determining a patients need for pain relief. Since pain is a subjective quality and opioids are highly addictive and especially dangerous when taken for extended periods of times, it is imperative that we continue to research these pain relief drugs as well as the consequences of their abuse. Recent documentaries following heroin addicts found that a substantial majority began their addiction with prescription opiates that were prescribed with justifiable cause by licensed physicians. Some addicts continue to use "legal" methods of obtaining their substance of choice (fentanyl, oxycodone, etc) while others (especially the underinsured) feed their addiction by purchasing illegal heroin on the street because of the substantially lower cost and often more potent concentrations. It is these risky behaviours that lead to further medical issues associated with IV drug abuse. Although we cannot prevent this illicit activity, we as doctors must do our best to curb the unneccessary use of opioids as much as possible otherwise we become complicit in this terrible epidemic.
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Post by Asif Uddin on Jan 9, 2017 13:57:23 GMT -4
This article really highlights the harsh reality of the heroin epidemic in our country. The statistic of 33,091 people that died in 2015 due to heroin overdose shows how unfortunate this situation is. This article shows not only the consequences heroin has on the individuals who take them but also their families and what they have to go through. I have seen firsthand how bad this epidemic is when I did a rotation in a small community in Connecticut. The community is similar to the one in West Virginia that has dealt with massive layoffs and closing of factories that local residents used to work in. What’s sad is that these blue collar workers of factories or mining jobs suffered from injuries which were treated with opiates. Drug companies saw how many opiates were prescribed in this area and instead of regulating how much was distributed to them they took advantage of the situation and sent record number amounts of narcotics to these small towns. These residents got addicted to the pain pills and when their money ran out they substituted it with the cheaper and stronger opiate heroin. They could’ve easily reported the issue by showing how much of their narcotics were being sold, but instead they decided to make a profit out of it. These community support groups and detox centers help with the epidemic but as providers and future physicians it is our duty to find other alternatives to these strong opiates and identify patients who may abuse such medications. Also having the general public become aware of this issue and its consequences on the individuals abusing the drug as well as the families affected by it will help drive change.
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