Man’s family sues doctors after fatal overdose
http://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stories/mans-family-sues-doctors-after-fatal-overdose/515967345
McKEESPORT, Pa. – The family of a McKeesport man is suing his doctors, claiming that they repeatedly gave him prescription painkillers despite knowing about his addiction.
Nicholas Classic died in October 2015 after overdosing on prescription drugs. He was 29.
According to a wrongful death lawsuit filed Tuesday in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, doctors at a McKeesport clinic prescribed Classic painkillers in March 2013 after an MRI showed a mild bulged disk in his back.
Classic continued to receive pain medication for two years before the doctor wrote a note saying, in part:
“Patient in the past few weeks has demonstrated overuse, urgency in wanting to obtain further quantity when overtaken and has called this office several times insistent on knowing when his medications would be prescribed.”
Family members said Classic had a near fatal overdose less than a month later, but found other doctors to prescribe painkillers to him. The lawsuit alleges this patter continued until his fatal overdose in October 2015.
The lawsuit was filed by Classic’s mother. Seven doctors and counselors are named as defendants.
“She had been waging an almost one-woman crusade to get these doctors to stop prescribing to her son,” said Alan Perer, the Classic family’s attorney. “She failed in her attempts to prevent this from happening to her son. She would like to see the system improve.”
Channel 11 reached out to the seven doctors and counselors named in the lawsuit. All either declined to comment or did not return phone calls.
The prescription drug monitoring program was not implemented until several months after Classic’s death. The program requires doctors to put patients getting prescription drugs into a shared system to prevent “doctor shopping.”
Pennsylvania was one of the last states to implement a state wide drug database system… Only Missouri still does not have a state wide PMP. Of course, back in 2005 Pres Bush (43) signed into law a NATIONAL prescription database http://nasper.org/ but Congress had never funded it operation. So healthcare providers in PA were “flying blind”… but the bureaucracy will not take any responsible in this death, and who “forced” this man to take all those opiates ? SEVEN DOCTORS… isn’t it illegal to obtain controlled substances for non-legit reasons.. Of course, you can charge someone who is DEAD for the illegal activity done while they were alive.. Couldn’t the parents had him arrested for this illegal activity… at least … he might still be around..Filed under: General Problems
Again,,,its called ,”informed consent,” we give our Doctors,,and as adults we are suppose to be responsible,,,DITTO,,,, ON TRACY’S comment,,,,,he broke the law,,,he lied,,,HE IS THE CRIMINAL,,, not his doc’s,,,HE was well over 18,,and a adult!!!why are they no-longer recognizing the legal age of adults to be responsible w/their own decisions??!!not mommy or daddy!!!!MARYW
We literally no longer have the concept of personal responsibility within this society. I am always sorry to see any parents who lose a child. Parents should never have to bury their child. That being said, this man broke the law many times by conning doctors into prescribing him pain medication that HE abused.
(I realize he had an injury to his back. I say that he was conning doctors because once he realized he experienced euphoria when he took higher doses – aka not adhering to the directions – he was no longer using said medication for medicinal purposes. He was using said medication to continue getting high).
No one had a gun to his head and forced him to see all of those doctors. No one forced him to continue getting his prescription filled month after month, even after he almost overdosed. All of these lawsuits that involve a group of people suing doctors, pharmaceutical companies that manufacture opioids, etc. are absolutely ridiculous and show the increase of stupidity and the decrease of logic and common sense among our society, esp within our elected officials.