In “America’s prescription drug problem”, columnist Dan Rather reports and opines:
“According to the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration nearly 7 million Americans are abusing prescription drugs. That’s more than the number who abuse heroin, cocaine, Ecstasy and hallucinogens combined… Where are they getting these potent pills? In many cases from ‘pain-relief centers’ that, according to beat cops and others, aren’t all operating with proper medical standards.”
WATCHDOG: What a disservice by Rather to so superficially cover this rarely discussed but very serious offshoot of the nation’s War on Drugs.
Doctors in the United States are often under educated and fearful about prescribing adequate pain relief for their patients. Word gets around about those who are properly trained, and they are besieged by chronic pain sufferers. Since some cases require ten times as much medication as others (it has to do with varying rates of metabolism), these specialists are writing not only more prescriptions, but also higher dosages. As a result, these doctors can face DEA investigation and the possibility of prosecution.
Failure to provide sufficient medication can lead to chronic pain problems requiring still higher doses. That in turn causes pain sufferers to seek medication from illicit sources.
For reliable information on the subject from government studies and peer reviewed articles, visit http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/node/59 which is published by our sister organization, Common Sense for Drug Policy.
