Pharmacy Student Weighs in on Drug Abuse Conversation
Would you pull a NASCAR fan out of the stands and expect them to have the experience to run a NASCAR race successfully at 200 + MPH ?
Why not.. our President is seeking the opinion of a PHARMACY STUDENT on drug abuse and the war on drugs.. AT BEST, a Pharmacy student is a novice observer. Talk about your JV team !
CHARLESTON- Two University of Charleston pharmaceutical students will be attending the President’s drug abuse forum Wednesday at the East End Family Resource Center.
One of them is Jeremy Arthur. Arthur is still a pharmacy student, but he’s already seen first-hand what prescription drug abuse looks like. He has been interning behind the counter of a local pharmacy where he’s seen how bad the drug abuse problem really is.
“I see a lot of patients and seen a lot of situations that involved prescription drug use, especially being in the professional pharmacy, so I kind of have an eye on substance abuse and seeing some patients that have struggled with it,” Arthur explained.
The student is a native of the Mountain State, so he knows how bad the prescription drug and heroin problem is in West Virginia. Arthur told 13 News he hopes the President’s visit will prompt change and growth especially in the way we prescribe opioids.
“Is it an issue of prescribed- is it just physician based? Is it an issue of coming down to the pharmacy-level and are we not adequately counseling our patients and helping them with their medication management and things of that nature?” said Arthur.
He believes the gathering of various agencies at tomorrow’s event will also draw attention to the need for collaboration in the health care industry. He wants to see pharmacists more involved in conversations between doctors and patients.
“Bring in the pharmacist in that role in that counseling role, and talking to patients and seeing whether or not they’re on an appropriate therapy if they’re pain is being managed and it’s being managed inappropriately or not sufficiently enough, we can kind of step in ,” Arthur said.
He believes with collaboration between different health care groups and law enforcement, there is hope for West Virginia.
Filed under: General Problems
It’s really sad that a pharmacy student has figured our future out for us! Infuriating that this person is weighing in on issues that can effect all chronic pain patients’ lives! Did they have any pain patients who were being hassled about their meds handy to ask questions? Of course not! There are NEVER any chronic pain patients around, shockingly, when the answers to these questions are being printer. Can’t find what you don’t look for, can you?
Meanwhile, the REAL story is 40, 000 suicides, an epidemic of undertreated pain. People who did not ask to be sick, did not continue taking meds despite no medical need, the NON-ADDICTS, the true victims of the war on drugs. Not a “juicy” story? Sounds like it should be. People taking drugs that shouldn’t be, makes for better copy than people needing medications that can’t get them. How many of us have to die from suicide for this story to rate as good copy?
Just wait til they come after the Diabetes 2 Patients! No, we are not giving you insulin, until you turn in receipts showing all the foods you purchase or something equally ridiculous!
Am I allowed to say how bad Obama has been for the country.
Uh, first hand views ondrug users is in the streets, homes, clubbs, and ER when overdose, not the counter.
Gee, there’s been an awful lot of “collaboration between different health care groups and law enforcement.” Too much, some would say. In fact, so much that you can’t tell the difference between the two groups anymore. Are you my pharmacist or do you work for the DEA?
I know there’s not just one solution, but to advocate for the solution that’s already been tried and failed? Is even making the problems worse? (Was this student born yesterday?) That’s just sad.
Sounds like they no longer are teaching the difference between dependence and true addiction in pharmacy schools anymore. Besides, 99% of what a pharmacist REALLY learns is after graduation with years of on the job experience.
What a crock of BS! Before this whole thing is over chronic pain sufferers will not be able to get necessary pain meds AT ALL. It’s a serious situation at the present re getting prescriptions filled and it will only get worse no doubt. Such a disgrace for a country such as this one.