Amazing Florida Statistics in NY Times Article on Oxycodone

[297point1]

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An article appeared in yesterday's NY Times regarding Florida's efforts to address the pain clinic pill mills.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/us/01drugs.html?src=me&ref=us


The author trotted out some amazing statistics:

• 89% of the oxycodone sold in the US in 2010 was purchased by Florida doctors (not clear if the proper term here should be 'prescribed' instead of 'purchased', but either way it is a large percentage).
• Following a law barring Florida physicians from dispensing narcotics and addictive medicines from their offices or clinics, year to year physician purchases of oxycodone dropped by 97%.
• With the supply of diverted oxycodone drying up, the street value of oxycodone has doubled.

After reading the whole article, it sounds like half the state had a pharmacologic-induced buzz in 2010.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I don't believe that at all. Given how much I've seen dispensed in Philly and Southern WV (the worst local epidemic anywhere..,), they would have to dispense like a billion units a months in that state.

 

[schamj01]

yeah, I worked in a downtown, residential store in Fort Wayne, IN...not exactly a huge city. We went through many bottles of oxycontin/percocet in a given week.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

I don't believe that at all. Given how much I've seen dispensed in Philly and Southern WV (the worst local epidemic anywhere..,), they would have to dispense like a billion units a months in that state.

Given population density and stricter laws of other states on CII's dispensing, maybe it isn't so far fetched.

 

[StevePerry]

An article appeared in yesterday's NY Times regarding Florida's efforts to address the pain clinic pill mills.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/us/01drugs.html?src=me&ref=us




The author trotted out some amazing statistics:

• 89% of the oxycodone sold in the US in 2010 was purchased by Florida doctors (not clear if the proper term here should be 'prescribed' instead of 'purchased', but either way it is a large percentage).
• Following a law barring Florida physicians from dispensing narcotics and addictive medicines from their offices or clinics, year to year physician purchases of oxycodone dropped by 97%.
• With the supply of diverted oxycodone drying up, the street value of oxycodone has doubled.

After reading the whole article, it sounds like half the state had a pharmacologic-induced buzz in 2010.

What a f---ing joke.

 

[goldenboy212]

I work at retail store in florida. I turn down about ~30 scripts a day for oxycodone 30's (180). With a high of 61 in one day and a low of 14. This is just one retail store.

 

[Praziquantel86]

I also just found out that the United States consumes >99% of all hydrocodone produced worldwide.

 

[1ive2die]

Why do pharmacists get all worked up about narcotics and insist on regulating their use to the point that almost no one is eligible to get some? I mean more scripts = more $$$. We should all be grateful to these blessed drugs for keeping pharmacies afloat.

 

[MindOverMatter]

Why do pharmacists get all worked up about narcotics and insist on regulating their use to the point that almost no one is eligible to get some? I mean more scripts = more $$$. We should all be grateful to these blessed drugs for keeping pharmacies afloat.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Why do pharmacists get all worked up about narcotics and insist on regulating their use to the point that almost no one is eligible to get some? I mean more scripts = more $$$. We should all be grateful to these blessed drugs for keeping pharmacies afloat.

Excellent point. I think I'll stop washing my hands after I poop at work. That'll surely be good for future flagyl sales.

 

[type b pharmD]

I also just found out that the United States consumes >99% of all hydrocodone produced worldwide.

The US is the largest of a very small handful of countries that have hydrocodone approved and sold.

 

[ValeRx]

Why do pharmacists get all worked up about narcotics and insist on regulating their use to the point that almost no one is eligible to get some? I mean more scripts = more $$$. We should all be grateful to these blessed drugs for keeping pharmacies afloat.

Thats basically saying that a store clerk at Home Depot that observes someone trying to steal something shouldn't stop them because it's just their job to ring people out.

 

[Pharmavixen]

The US is the largest of a very small handful of countries that have hydrocodone approved and sold.

Perhaps, but as well as using > 99% of the world's hydrocodone supply, the US uses 80-90% of the world's opioid supply.

I think the stats are similar for Canada. We had a new admit at the jail this week who was prescribed 480 mg Oxycontin bid, methadone 130 mg daily, diazepam 10 mg bid, and pregabalin 600 mg bid all from the same dr. (I actually went off on the retail pharmacist when she told me about the pregabalin; she said, "The patient has very complicated pain problems.")

These "very complicated pain problems?" The guy told the dr he had "end-stage osteoarthritis" in one knee.

 

[xiphoid2010]

Perhaps, but as well as using > 99% of the world's hydrocodone supply, the US uses 80-90% of the world's opioid supply.

Because Americans are a bunch of cry babies. serially though, why are people so pain averse here?

 

[Pharmavixen]

I think it's access. People take drugs because they can, and they would in, say, Germany too, if Germany were awash in Oxycontin the way we are in N. America.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Because Americans are a bunch of cry babies. serially though, why are people so pain averse here?

I've had two broken bones and surgery...never really felt like I needed an opioid to dull the pain. It makes one wonder how the hell human beings prior to the 19th century coped with living being as though Percocet is dispensed as if it were ibuprofen at local EDs.

I'm sure we've all wondered what percentage of pain patients are 100% legitimate.

Here's an interesting study I just found, btw...it should be entitled, "The naivety of PCPs."

 

[Pharmavixen]

Me too; I had mouth surgery last year, where they took part of my soft palate and grafted it onto my gums (didn't go to the dentist for 14 years = major gum disease). I had four suture lines in my mouth, and scripts for ketorolac and Tyl #3. I took 2 T3s, and otherwise used the Toradol, which is awesome.

How many opioid prescribers are getting signed patient agreements from their patients?

Had a pt a couple of years ago in the methadone clinic who was getting about a thousand mg/day Oxycontin daily dispensed. I phoned the dr and asked if he was sure the pt was taking it all himself. Dr says, "YOU CAN'T PROVE my pt is diverting. If you think he is, call the police <click>." Same pt ends up in the jail, we give him MS Contin 60 mg bid, and he's totally fine, no WD symptoms.

 

[JackBeanstalk]

Are anyone of ur pharmacies stocking the oxycontin op? Suppose to be harder to crush and if wet will turn to a gelatinous goo to prevent injection/snorting. This theoretically, should curtail abuse, seeing decline anyone??

 

[Rx MPLS]

To my knowledge, different people experience pain very differently. I've experienced a few very painful temporary issues, but highly dislike the experience of taking prescribed narcotics to get rid of the pain (they make me feel dumb and didn't really get rid of the pain). Personally, I feel like I can bear even very bad pain. It's not enjoyable, but I can deal with it.

On the other hand, a close family member of mine has experienced chronic pain and demyelinating neuropathies, and the opioids don't help as much as you'd think. I don't know enough yet to know whether this family member is receiving appropriate treatment of their problems, but I definitely can't judge their reliance on some of these drugs just to get through the day. They have always been more affected by pain than I am.

It's really easy to judge everybody as addicted when you don't know their entire story. There are addicts, but there are also people with legitimate pain. It can be hard to tell the difference at times, I believe.

 

[meister]

bleh

 

[297point1]

Excellent point. I think I'll stop washing my hands after I poop at work. That'll surely be good for future flagyl sales.

Come on now...we all know that retail pharmacists are strictly forbidden from pooping at work.

 

[FlavyFlav]

Why do pharmacists get all worked up about narcotics and insist on regulating their use to the point that almost no one is eligible to get some? I mean more scripts = more $$$. We should all be grateful to these blessed drugs for keeping pharmacies afloat.

If you're ok with killing 7 people a day due to prescription overdose, then by all means rake in that cash. I'd estimate ~80% of the patients who come in with #240 oxy 30s, #120 xanax 2s, and #180 methadone 10s are younger than 30, ambulating just fine, and usually show up in a car filled with their buddies who happen to have the same scripts for the same problems.

I would prefer to keep patients for the long term. The pharmacy manager where I work dispenses about 1-2k oxy per day (we would sell even more if the other pharmacist took oxy scripts). This is just oxy 30, not counting anything else. It's a huge problem, and these new laws and controls aren't going to help any. I expect once everything is controlled in Florida, we'll just see robberies escalate out of control.

 

[PharmDstudent]

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6837797n ... this is very interesting.

 

[StevePerry]

If you're ok with killing 7 people a day due to prescription overdose, then by all means rake in that cash. I'd estimate ~80% of the patients who come in with #240 oxy 30s, #120 xanax 2s, and #180 methadone 10s are younger than 30, ambulating just fine, and usually show up in a car filled with their buddies who happen to have the same scripts for the same problems.

I would prefer to keep patients for the long term. The pharmacy manager where I work dispenses about 1-2k oxy per day (we would sell even more if the other pharmacist took oxy scripts). This is just oxy 30, not counting anything else. It's a huge problem, and these new laws and controls aren't going to help any. I expect once everything is controlled in Florida, we'll just see robberies escalate out of control.

Hopefully all the junkhead pieces of s--- will just go O.G. and go back to shooting heroin instead. Viva Mexico, right? The whole database thing is a f---ing joke. Like FlavaFlav alluded to above, rph's can make the choice to stock and fill that stuff or not to stock and fill the stuff. Just like doc's can write for it, or not write for it. The state doesn't need to become involved.

This doesn't even mention the violation of privacy of something like this. But it is nothing new for people to sell out their rights on this frontier over some bull---- public outcry, is it?

 

[meister]

yeah heroin is really much different from oxycodone, mmmhmm. i sure hope addicts go back to using used needles and spreading hiv and hep c all over the place.

 

[TonyRx]

Yea, here in South Florida it is a complete epidemic beyond words at times. Every day I turn away multiple addicts, some days worse than others. Not to mention every other week a "Doctor" is being busted/raided for running an illegal pain clinic. It was pretty funny at first, but now it's just a headache and complete mess.