state of emergency /opiod abuse

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sosoo

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besides Maryland, are there any other states that formally declared a state of emergency from opioid abuse? while it is a crisis and at epidemic level, i only heard of Maryland formally declare it as such (namely b/c i work in Maryland).

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are you kidding...I'm in the heart of suboxone/codone Appalachia. Dr's just say give them a naloxone kit which medicaid pays for each time and the money keeps flowing. People driving 4 hours to get here and get it filled. I know a pharmacy where 50 percent is scheduled meds.
 
I work in Maryland too, it is declared a state of emergency here but they aren't really doing anything about it in my opinion. I know in Virginia they are requiring us to do a CE on opioid abuse in order to renew pharmacist licenses. In Tennessee it's bad there too. Anyone can walk into a pain clinic, cry about something, and boom 120 oxy 10's for the month. Soon that will become Oxycontin/Morphine Sulfate + Oxy 30's #120 for a month and then later will evolve to fentanyl + oxy IR for "prn for breakthrough pain" that winds up being taken around the clock. Many will be so inebriated you can't have productive conversations with them and they're still driving. Many of these people also drink alcohol which puts them at risk for OD symptoms... It's dangerous medical practice, and lord help you if you ever tell a prescriber that they shouldn't be doing this.

I've never once seen alternatives first before jumping to opioids, I've never once seen a physician decide to wean someone off and recommend PT or other meds, I've never seen prn pain meds used prn, it's around the clock... same with benzos. It's blatantly negligent medical practice with lax attitudes about prescribing these substances that in all cases will eventually lead to drug dependence. I don't see other countries practicing like this, and I've yet to hear of a "chronic pain" epidemic there in the absence of rampant opioid use.
 
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The risk of a single 5-day opioid prescription, in one chart

The dependency risk is way worse than is believe

"For people who take an opioid for 10 days, almost one in five will still be taking opioids one year later"
us_opioid_prescription_length_probability_chronic_use_chart_vox.png
 
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im guessing so far only Maryland formally declared a state of emergency. i was hoping to hear from florida.. ^
 
I work in Maryland too, it is declared a state of emergency here but they aren't really doing anything about it in my opinion. I know in Virginia they are requiring us to do a CE on opioid abuse in order to renew pharmacist licenses. In Tennessee it's bad there too. Anyone can walk into a pain clinic, cry about something, and boom 120 oxy 10's for the month. Soon that will become Oxycontin/Morphine Sulfate + Oxy 30's #120 for a month and then later will evolve to fentanyl + oxy IR for "prn for breakthrough pain" that winds up being taken around the clock. Many will be so inebriated you can't have productive conversations with them and they're still driving. Many of these people also drink alcohol which puts them at risk for OD symptoms... It's dangerous medical practice, and lord help you if you ever tell a prescriber that they shouldn't be doing this.

I've never once seen alternatives first before jumping to opioids, I've never once seen a physician decide to wean someone off and recommend PT or other meds, I've never seen prn pain meds used prn, it's around the clock... same with benzos. It's blatantly negligent medical practice with lax attitudes about prescribing these substances that in all cases will eventually lead to drug dependence. I don't see other countries practicing like this, and I've yet to hear of a "chronic pain" epidemic there in the absence of rampant opioid use.
These docs are crackheads too

There is a ******ed "doctor" near the crackhouse who writes oxy for sneezing even

The quack even asked me how to do his job once ... don't know which ***** gave him a medical license
 
These docs are crackheads too

There is a ******ed "doctor" near the crackhouse who writes oxy for sneezing even

The quack even asked me how to do his job once ... don't know which ***** gave him a medical license

does he for sure have a medical license? maybe some savvy identity fraud? maybe its the russians? have you checked your microwave?
 
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I work in Maryland too, it is declared a state of emergency here but they aren't really doing anything about it in my opinion. I know in Virginia they are requiring us to do a CE on opioid abuse in order to renew pharmacist licenses. In Tennessee it's bad there too. Anyone can walk into a pain clinic, cry about something, and boom 120 oxy 10's for the month. Soon that will become Oxycontin/Morphine Sulfate + Oxy 30's #120 for a month and then later will evolve to fentanyl + oxy IR for "prn for breakthrough pain" that winds up being taken around the clock. Many will be so inebriated you can't have productive conversations with them and they're still driving. Many of these people also drink alcohol which puts them at risk for OD symptoms... It's dangerous medical practice, and lord help you if you ever tell a prescriber that they shouldn't be doing this.

I've never once seen alternatives first before jumping to opioids, I've never once seen a physician decide to wean someone off and recommend PT or other meds, I've never seen prn pain meds used prn, it's around the clock... same with benzos. It's blatantly negligent medical practice with lax attitudes about prescribing these substances that in all cases will eventually lead to drug dependence. I don't see other countries practicing like this, and I've yet to hear of a "chronic pain" epidemic there in the absence of rampant opioid use.

You're describing every single management pain clinic from down in San Antonio up to the border with Oklahoma.

I've heard "Oh they're only on Norco 10 1-2q4-6. "

I also wonder what the rates of DUI / MVA are in pain management patients.

It scares the **** out of me to see a normally talkative, articulate patient come in slurring & drooling with car keys in their hands. And, of course, when you call the prescriber the nurse sounds shocked and promises to tell M.D., but no one ever calls back.

I did refuse to fill pre C2 Norco a few times at CVS for people who were obviously drunk and reeked of alcohol.

Furthermore, if bartenders are liable for overserving, why aren't the M.D.s and we?
 
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no

no
yeah
You'd be surprised.

There's an NP/socialite in San Antonio that's currently under investigation by the DEA and board.

In the past, he was disciplined for having two fake doctors seeing patients in his clinic.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if those two phonies used an actual prescriber's credentials during that time.
 
You'd be surprised.

There's an NP/socialite in San Antonio that's currently under investigation by the DEA and board.

In the past, he was disciplined for having two fake doctors seeing patients in his clinic.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if those two phonies used an actual prescriber's credentials during that time.
I've seen this guy in person.

An old quack who just writes anything and bills insurance.
 
I've dealt with several midlevels and dentists over them prescribing opioids to patients in addiction recovery. Hell nearly all of them didn't know what Zubsolv was. One PA legit told me "tell the patient to take the oxycodone and then resume their addiction recovery medication." I told him I wouldn't fill it as I may have liability in dispensing an opioid to a known addict and that him knowingly prescribing an opioid for an addict may be malpractice. We changed the patient to Ibuprofen 800 (which they were mad about). There are so many incompetent prescribers and I blame the epidemic mostly on them. Also had a legit MD try to call in Hydrocodone... when I clarified with the office they said "he's old and senile and does that sometimes..." RETIRE YOUR MEDICAL LICENSE IF YOU ARE THAT SENILE! He works for an arthritis practice and the guidelines do not recommend opioids for arthritis anyway... I feel like providers never check the PDMP and educate themselves on the appropriate prescribing of opioids and the risks of doing so. I think we need to legally restrain prescribers.
 
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are you kidding...I'm in the heart of suboxone/codone Appalachia. Dr's just say give them a naloxone kit which medicaid pays for each time and the money keeps flowing. People driving 4 hours to get here and get it filled. I know a pharmacy where 50 percent is scheduled meds.

Oh, yeah, like opiate addicts are going to have their version of a designated driver. :diebanana:

Whenever I hear about someone dying from a heroin overdose (other drugs too, but this one specifically) my thought is that in the long run, they have spared their families, friends/sycopants, and society in general a lot of misery.
 
I just watched Dr. Feelgood on Netflix. Over 90,000 opioid pills for one patient. SWEET CHRISTMAS!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
 
I just watched Dr. Feelgood on Netflix. Over 90,000 opioid pills for one patient. SWEET CHRISTMAS!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
In like 1.5 years no less. Just watched it as well a few days ago what did you think of it? I want to like the guy and give him the benefit of the doubt as he was going against the grain of medicine at the time and i think he truly believed in what he practiced at least initially before his clinic went national, but its really hard to justify over 100 pills a day with the reasoning of "hurr durr tolerance"
 
I think Ohio is number 1 in the country for heroin overdoses. Not sure about Rx drugs though but I'm sure it's bad. Florida is improving.
 
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are you kidding...I'm in the heart of suboxone/codone Appalachia. Dr's just say give them a naloxone kit which medicaid pays for each time and the money keeps flowing. People driving 4 hours to get here and get it filled. I know a pharmacy where 50 percent is scheduled meds.

I remember seeing a post on reddit a couple months ago about how a lot of people are dying in WV from opioid overdose
 
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