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What might effective pain management depend upon
What might effective pain management depend upon
What might effective pain management depend upon
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It is likely that everyone knows someone who has abused prescription opioid drugs. According to the National Drug Institute, it is estimated that between 26.4 million and 36 million people worldwide abuse opioids for non-medical purposes at some point in their lifetime. (Volkow, 2014) Many Americans are being prescribed pain killers and are misusing them every day. On October 6, 2014, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) initiated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to reclassify hydrocodone combination products from schedule III to schedule II, a more highly controlled class of medication. Lortab, Percocet, OxyContin, Fentanyl, and Roxanol are some of the most popular opioids prescribed and misused on a daily basis. (“Rules – 2014”, 2014) This …show more content…
(“Opiate”, n.d.) Although there are many drawbacks to opioid prescriptions, there are several legit reasons people are prescribed opiates every day, such as having a short-term solution for pain, which would limit a patient to taking these powerful painkillers for weeks versus months. Since hydrocodone combination pills have been reclassified to a schedule II drug, this means that one must go to the doctor and obtain a handwritten 30 day prescription. Schedule II prescriptions can no longer be faxed in or phoned in to the pharmacy. If a patient is in severe pain, most of the time, one is not concerned with the risky side effects these drugs have on the human body. Many prescription drugs, like opioids, can be the answer for serious conditions. Some drugs are not used for long-term illnesses, but are prescribed for short-term ailments, like a tooth extraction. This could be an alternative to surgical procedures, and if the patient is unable to undergo surgery, an alternative could be a strong painkiller, which is less invasive leading to reduced pain overall. Opioid medications, like Lortab or Percocet, act on certain proteins in the gastrointestinal tract, spinal cord, nerve cells in the brain called opioid receptors. Most of these drugs are prescribed to patients for breakthrough or chronic pain. After medications attach to …show more content…
Although these medications cause a person to feel good, so many people take more pills to intensify that sense of pleasure, which usually leads to addiction and dependence. “For example, extended-release oxycodone is designed to release slowly and steadily into the bloodstream after being taken orally in a pill; this minimizes the euphoric effects” (Volkow, 2014). Some people do not like that it releases into the body slowly; therefore, they crush, snort, or even inject to increase that pleasure they receive from opioids. Although, this might offer them a good feeling they have never felt before, but it also offers serious health affects that could even lead to death. People who abuse these prescription drugs are at risk for respiratory distress, dependence, and even cardiac arrest. (Volkow,
On the typical day, over 90 people will die at the hand of opioid abuse in America alone (National). In fact, as of 2014, nearly 2 million Americans were dependent and abusing opioids. The Opioid Crisis has affected America and its citizens in various ways, including health policy, health care, and the life in populous areas. Due to the mass dependence and mortality, the crisis has become an issue that must be resolved in all aspects.
Almost one hundred years ago, prescription drugs like morphine were available at almost any general store. Women carried bottles of very addictive potent opiate based pain killers in their purse. Many individuals like Edgar Allen Poe died from such addictions. Since that time through various federal, state and local laws, drugs like morphine are now prescription drugs; however, this has not stopped the addiction to opiate based pain killers. Today’s society combats an ever increasing number of very deadly addictive drugs from designer drugs to narcotics to the less potent but equally destructive alcohol and marijuana. With all of these new and old drugs going in and out of vogue with addicts, it appears that the increase of misuse and abuse is founded greater in the prescription opiate based painkillers.
Painkillers have been used for many years, and they have been beneficial to many. But one that recently took the market has been the topic of many controversial discussions. Oxycodone has always been used in modern medicine but in small amounts. OxyContin contained a higher amount of oxycodone than most opiate based pain killers, the weakest dose of OxyContin had double the amount found in said painkillers (Meier 12). This lead to the spread of abuse and addiction towards the drug. And a medicine made to do nothing but help became the subject of overdose and death. The creation of OxyContin was a triumph for modern medicine and a halo of light to people with chronic pains, but this drug now seems to carry a trail of addiction and abuse along with it.
Opioid’s chemical composition consist of many highly addictive substances which cause the human body to become quickly tolerant. Many opioid users become addictive to the substance because the doctors have been over prescribing. “In the United States, there were 14,800 annual prescribed opioid (PO) deaths in 2008” with the US having less restrictions (Fischer, Benedikt, et al 178). The United States have implemented more regulations so that “high levels of PO-related harms been associated with highly potent oxycodone formulas” will decrease (Fischer, Benedikt, et al 178). With the regulations, it does not change the fact that opioids are is destructive. The regulations assistance by lessening the probability of patients becoming addictive to opioid. There are numerous generations that are effected and harmed by the detrimental effects of opioids on opioid-dependent patients.
Opioids are prescribed to help people; prescription opioids can be used to treat moderate-to-severe pain and are often prescribed following surgery or injury, or for health conditions such as cancer (Prescription Opioids). When taken as directed, opioids are safe and effective treatment options for relieving debilitating chronic pain (Highsmith). Doctors have a screening protocol they follow before prescribing an opioid. Doctors ask patients about their past to see if any substance abuse was present, to rule out patients with a higher risk of becoming addicted to prescription opioids. Nonetheless, if the medication is used as directed, not only is your risk of addiction minimal, the odds of enjoying a better quality of life will be in your favor (Highsmith).
They are marketed under different brands such as Demerol, Oxycontin, Tylox, Percocet, and Vicodin and can be prescribed in liquid, tablets, capsules, and patches. In the United States, opioid addiction rates have majorly increased. Between 2000-2015, more than half a million individuals have died from opioid overdose, and nearly 5 million people have an opioid dependence which has become a serious problem. The Centers for Disease Control reports that there are 91 deaths daily due to opioid abuse. Taking opioids for long periods of time and in higher doses increases the chance of getting addicted to opioids.
“The number of people receiving methadone maintenance treatment in Ontario has increased sharply in recent years, from 6,000 in 2000 to 38,000 in 2012” (CAMH). Though this number seems threatening, it is a sign that Canada’s effective methadone treatments are reaching more people. Methadone is a synthetic opioid; it has a different chemical structure but similar effects on the body to other opiates such as morphine, heroin, codeine and OxyContin (Harvard Health Publications). Methadone is not used to cure, but rather treat addictions that individuals have to more dangerous opioids. Critics of the maintenance treatment say these rising numbers is proof of addicts getting high with Canadian’s tax money. A more accurate statement would be that
One of the most common questions asked to children is: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Responses typically include professions such as teachers, firefighters, police officers, doctors, etc. Foster children are no different; they too have hopes and dreams, aspirations to be someone in life. As with anyone else, they must first go through the proper curriculum and training to establish a career. The problem, however, is that early on foster children start falling behind academically. Research Highlights on Education and Foster Care (2014) provide numerous data based on studies throughout the states that exemplify the magnitude of the issue and the need to address it through modified policies and interventions. First, it recognizes
In the United States, health insurance has been a way to cover insured individuals medical cost. The coverage of insurance depends on the type of health insurance plan an individual has. Each insurance plan varies, and one of the coverages that insurance plans offer is prescription drugs. The cost of prescription drugs, depends on which health insurance plan you have. If an individual does not have health insurance, paying for a prescription drug will be an out-of-pocket cost and cost will vary for those who have health insurance. One of the issues that have been arising in the United States is Prescription drug usage. Many patients are abusing their prescription health insurance coverage and it is affecting their health come. Some of the prescriptions
Almost overnight one such venerable substance (or class of substances) has been catapulted into the national spotlight: prescription painkillers, namely those derived from the opium poppy. This class of analgesic encompasses everything from the codeine in prescription cough syrup to the morphine used in the management of sever pain. These compounds are commonly referred to as opiates and are produced naturally by the poppy. The sub-class of this type that has gotten all of the attention recently is the opioids, which are semi-synthetic compounds derived from the opiates (Wade 846). Opioids were developed for a variety of reasons, such as reducing the cost of production (morphine is expensive to synthesize) and attempting to reduce the addictiveness of the drugs.
It doesn’t matter if these patients will become addicted, because these doctors are so sure of it that they overprescribe just so the patients won’t come back asking for more in the near future. Due to the inconsideration and selfishness of these doctors “Prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing form of substance abuse”(Hanson). To make matters worse, a majority of these doctors aren't even warning their patients about the type of drug they are dealing with. According to the National Institute on drug abuse, opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, causing them to be highly addictive(Thomas et al). Not only is it clear to see that these doctors are at fault here for even prescribing a drug they know can be as addicting as heroin, but also because they aren't doing anything to fix their mistakes, much less admit that they are at fault here. Doctors are to blame for these addiction, not the patients. Doctors are also to blame for not giving these unhealthy addictions the attention they deserve. After all, they are required by the FDA to give risk evaluations when the risks of the drug outweigh the benefits(Blake). Yet on the contrary to popular belief these doctors aren’t giving those evaluations out, if they were more deaths could
Prescription drugs do not always cause addiction, but a specific group of prescription narcotics can increase dependency on the medication and cause a severe addiction. For many people that become addicted to prescribed medicines, it changes their life forever. Prescription drugs are equally as dangerous as street drugs, if not more so. High powered pain relievers are safe if taken properly, but some people pop multiples a day which can cause coma and even death.
By the year 2000 opioid medicine containing oxycodone etc., are being abused and misused and more than doubled in 10 years’ time.
The rate of death due to prescription drug abuse in the U.S. has escalated 313 percent over the past decade. According to the Congressional Quarterly Transcription’s article "Rep. Joe Pitt Holds a Hearing on Prescription Drug Abuse," opioid prescription drugs were involved in 16,650 overdose-caused deaths in 2010, accounting for more deaths than from overdoses of heroin and cocaine. Prescribed drugs or painkillers sometimes "condemn a patient to lifelong addiction," according to Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This problem not only affects the lives of those who overdose but it affects the communities as well due to the convenience of being able to find these items in drug stores and such. Not to mention the fact that the doctors who prescribe these opioids often tend to misuse them as well. Abusing these prescribed drugs can “destroy dreams and abort great destinies," and end the possibility of the abuser to have a positive impact in the community.
The talk about prescription painkillers prescribed by doctors are starting to be widely debated whether they’re doing more good than harm. The debate on whether painkillers are good for the human health has came into a mild and somewhat highly discussed topic within the last decade. At first prescribed painkillers were thought to be good, but these prescribed painkillers have always been like a double edge sword usually doing better than bad. The side effects from the painkillers used to be very minimal; for example the common side effects were drowsiness, nausea and vomiting, but since the world is a constantly developing place new painkillers are constantly being developed and so are their side effects” ("Types of Pain Medications on RxList.com." RxList. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May 2014.’). Not only are the side effects becoming worst, but people are becoming severely addicted to them and in some cases their addiction is lethal and not only kills them, but it can also tear a family apart or put a family in great financial debt because of one person addiction. Now when something that been created to do good starts to be questioned whether it’s actually still good or not is major problem majority of the time.