State workgroup seeks to curb prescription-drug deaths
California state agencies are combining resources to prevent deaths and injuries from prescription painkiller misuse and overdose — and to alert health care providers, pharmacists and the public to the epidemic.
A prescription opioid misuse and overdose prevention workgroup was formed last spring. The goal is to expand prevention strategies — and curb prescription drug-related injuries and deaths.
“Drug overdose brings to mind illegal street drugs like heroin, but many deaths due to drug abuse are from misuse of the legal prescription drugs that many people find in their medicine cabinets,” state health officer Dr. Ron Chapman said in a news release.
Drug overdoses kill more people in the U.S. than motor vehicle crashes. More than half the 41,000 drug overdose deaths in this country in 2012 were linked to pharmaceuticals, and opioid painkillers like oxycodone, methadone or hydrocodone were involved in about three or every four pharmaceutical overdose deaths. In California, reported deaths involving opioid prescription medications have increased 16.5 percent since 2006, according to state health officials.
The workgroup includes representatives from state departments of public health, health care services, justice, education and consumer affairs. Also represented are the pharmacy board, medical board, dental board and emergency medical services authority.
One goal is to provide information about the Medical Board of California’s recently revised guidelines for prescribing controlled substances for pain.
“Treating pain is complicated and prescription drugs do have an appropriate use,” Chapman said. “Health care providers and their patients should discuss the benefits and risks of prescription pain medications and consider all treatment options.”
Read a PDF of the pain guidelines.
Maybe I am just reading things into this…but.. notice who is the lead representatives on this work group and notice who are ALSO REPRESENTED.. the healthcare professionals that have the day to day “hands-on” dealing with pts and their health issues..
Also notice that Rx medications do have an appropriate use…but there seems to be a focus on ALL TREATMENT OPTIONS… Not everyone has the finances or insurance to afford all treatment options… not to mention time off work to participate and/or doesn’t have transportation or depending on a working spouse for transportation.. Unfortunately, there can be a very huge gap between theory and reality. My concern is that groups like this tend to focus on theory and little attention to reality.
Filed under: General Problems
They don’t care about reality…its ‘symbolism over substance’ the mantra of the progressives…and we all suffer because of it.
I have tried physical therapy,tens units, braces, mediation, useless painful expensive dangerous injections over the last 10 years. Only the medication can ease the pain enough to keep from screaming. And I am sure I have a higher tolerance for pain medication than someone recently injured. I am not a criminal and should not have to suffer because another does not follow the orders. How many of these overdoses are documented patients and how many are addicts? I am very curious to find if anyone cares enough to find out. All is about discrimination against the disabled. Thanks for letting me express my fear of government doing pain management.
I agree with you, my husband and I go thru the same crap monthly. We were in a motorcycle accident in 2004 and live in pain every day at someone else’s fault. We all need to join together to fight this criminal act against chronic pain pts.
That’s very true..I have been living in chronic pain for over 15 yrs now..I live on limited income and now I don’t have transportation to get to my doctor on a regular basis..it’s been a struggle..one of my doctors even stopped seeing me because I got behind on my co pays..I had been seeing him for several years..I depend on my pain meds just to function without them I can’t even get off the couch..last month I was cut of my pain meds for no apparent reason…people are suffering and some are even taken their own lifes because they can no longer deal with the pain and all that comes with it..u are isolated from people and house bound.what kind of life is that.
Besides not having the money to pay for all other treatment options, most — if not all — of these other treatment options don’t work, and many cause more pain and suffering.
Options? What options?