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Let's try this question one more time...there are addictive prescription drugs and non-addictive prescription drugs. The vast majority are in the latter category. There are non-prescription drugs, "natural" substances, and supplements that can also be abused. As usual, intention matters.
Even though some ARE addictive, it is not like physicians can prescribe them to themselves. Furthermore, if they have a DEA registration, someone is probably going to look at whether the prescriptions make sense. If you are a dermatologist regularly prescribing Ritalin or a psychiatrist who regularly prescribes oxycodone, that’s going to be problematic. The prescribing should be within the scope of practice. Pharmacists are looking out for this, partially because there could be an issue with someone stealing a prescription pad, and because it points to other issues with the provider.
Even though some ARE addictive, it is not like physicians can prescribe them to themselves. Furthermore, if they have a DEA registration, someone is probably going to look at whether the prescriptions make sense. If you are a dermatologist regularly prescribing Ritalin or a psychiatrist who regularly prescribes oxycodone, that’s going to be problematic. The prescribing should be within the scope of practice. Pharmacists are looking out for this, partially because there could be an issue with someone stealing a prescription pad, and because it points to other issues with the provider.
It would be nice if you defined what "them" is. Most prescription drugs are not addicting.
Where did you get the idea that doctors have easy access to legal drugs? They have prescriptive authority. Not all doctors have prescriptive authority for opioids. My son works in a major medical center ICU and does not have or want prescriptive authority for opioids.
The doctors who are writing fraudulent prescriptions end up getting caught sooner or later. The pharmacies are also becoming more and more vigilant. I was given a prescription for Oxycodone when I recently got out of the hospital. The pharmacy asked a ton of questions before filling the prescription. I took a few of them and decided the side effects were not worth it. I took Tylenol instead.
Which is what they should have suggested.
It's irresponsible to prescribe Oxy-anything. I can't stand to think that people I know with addiction problems might need surgeries some day and will be given these drugs willy-nilly - and "questions" are not a barrier. People lie.
It's irresponsible to prescribe Oxy-anything. I can't stand to think that people I know with addiction problems might need surgeries some day and will be given these drugs willy-nilly - and "questions" are not a barrier. People lie.
Of course I can't speak for all MDs and maybe it speaks well for mine, but the few times I've gone to see an MD for pain I haven't been able to take care of myself, or needed some procedure that might result in pain, their first suggestion to relieve it was basic home care or an OTC non-addictive med; Tylenol, ibuprofen, etc. Even a THR 20 years ago. No one ever just handed me a scrip for something known to be addictive. I had a bilateral mastectomy almost a year ago. Pretty major procedure and incisions. For 3 days post op pain relief was provided by a slow-release local anesthetic using an implant which worked amazingly well. No discernible side effects. Post discharge pain relief suggestion was Extra Strength Tylenol. More than enough.
Last edited by Parnassia; 08-09-2019 at 02:47 PM..
Nothing new to see here folks, move along. Not even sure why it became a thread.
Doctors and nurses have abused and or become addicted to opioids nearly from the start when heroin and cocaine began making their way to western countries from China and the east hundreds of years ago.
Doctor van Helsing (Dracula) was addicted to morphine, and while fictional he had plenty of real world company.
Of course in the 19th century addiction wasn't very well understood, and access to cocaine or opioids was rather loose and common. You could get various quack medicines from newspaper adverts, pharmacist, and others loaded with cocaine, heroin, and God only knows what else. Coca-Cola was once just that, a drink that included small amounts of cocaine.
One main reason nearly all states have moral codes as part of their medical and nurse practice acts is to weed out those involved with drugs. But it doesn't always work well.
We had a well respected "hero" of 9/11/01 doctor found dead while on duty at local NYC hospital. Turns out the guy OD'd, and had been an addict for years. News that stunned the community and especially his wife who lashed out that autopsy results were "false" and media were spreading lies about her deceased husband.
They prescribe them and get addicted to them as well.
I might be mistaken, but I always thought, medical doctors, had the highest divorce, suicide, drug use, alcoholism rate, you name it, out of any profession, it's a stressful job!
Doctors are human and just as prone to addiction as anyone else. Plus they see a lot of difficult things every day in practice and have a very stressful job. I’m not surprised at all - I’ve read studies that show that doctors and lawyers have the highest addiction rates.
Ya but....I would expect them to be more aware of the dangers and not take chances. Who knows, maybe their addiction is a lot less than the general populations - or it might be more.
My mom worked in a hospital. She never wanted me to ride motorcycles. She experienced the results of too many horrible accidents.
Healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, etc....) have same rates of addiction as general population, between 10% to 14%. We obviously hear more about when a doctor, nurse or whoever with a license is busted, dies of an OD, etc... because of their position in society.
As have said, we put doctors, nurses, etc.. up on some sort of pedestal, but they are humans like the rest of us. It isn't always pressure from their careers that cause these professionals to use (and or hit the bottle), but same things that cause same in general population.
Because doctors and nurses have somewhat easier access to "drugs", taking that first hit is likely easier than if they had to deal with a pusher or whatever. However as with all addicts the pattern soon becomes a habit that they cannot control and that itch overrides their senses.
Will say until rather recently neither the medical nor nursing professions have exactly stepped up to the plate. Of the two nurses were more expendable and thus when caught using dealt with more harshly. But even so for decades nurses, doctors and others would be quietly allowed to resign and things swept under the rug.
Either could move to another state and until reporting and other rules/laws tightened up start all over again. What you'll usually find is these sort of doctors and nurses ended up in places that have a hard time attracting and keeping staff. Inner city hospitals, hospitals of last resort (charity), etc....
Then you have other side of things where some feel the pendulum has swung too far the other way. If a doctor or nurse comes forward with a *problem* their goes their livelihood, and or maybe even their license (temporarily or permanently). Either way if word gets out no decent facility will touch them with a barge pole.
On the stress issue, they make their choices about going into medicine and dealing with the sick and damaged. They are not dealing with the healthy.
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