Addiction (spiral, prescriptions, cheap, treatment)

[ditchoc]

Thought I would start this topic.


I am a RN that works in opiate addiction. It is a real problem in the US. Initially I was surprised at the number of people fighting addiction in the moderate size town I live in.


I see patients in various phases of addiction. Some fighting it successfully, others trying but in a downward spiral.


The fight is real and even in an outpatient clinic environment, treatment is expensive. Medicaid is stepping up and helping many but not all.


There are many aspects and issues related to the issue of addiction. I thought this might be a good arena for those that want to talk about it.


I am far from being an expert but at least I have some experience and understanding and am willing to add my two cents when I can.

[guidoLaMoto]

There's one thing worse than the drug addiction problem in this country--that's the utterly ignorant & ineffective responses of the govt to the problem.

[rstevens62]

Originally Posted by ditchoc

Thought I would start this topic.


I am a RN that works in opiate addiction. It is a real problem in the US. Initially I was surprised at the number of people fighting addiction in the moderate size town I live in.


I see patients in various phases of addiction. Some fighting it successfully, others trying but in a downward spiral.


The fight is real and even in an outpatient clinic environment, treatment is expensive. Medicaid is stepping up and helping many but not all.


There are many aspects and issues related to the issue of addiction. I thought this might be a good arena for those that want to talk about it.


I am far from being an expert but at least I have some experience and understanding and am willing to add my two cents when I can.

I went thru this first hand years ago, Im clean today thankfully, but what I saw...the Govts response, which was basically enacting very tough new laws on opioid prescription drugs, actually did more harm than good.


Overdose and death rates skyrocketed once addicts could no longer get their painkillers and instead went to Heroin, (which was mysteriously readily available everywhere for very cheap at the same time the new prescription drug laws took effect).


And something else, not many people are aware of...when you get an opioid prescription drug filled a pharmacy, your name and details go onto a state list and state law enforcement is made aware, here in KY, its the KASPAR program, it basically tracks narcotic prescriptions...but it also releases PRIVATE medical information, to a law enforcement agency! That does not sit very well with me, I prefer to let ONLY those people I authorize, be aware of my personal, private medical treatment details, I do not want some law enforcement agency knowing what Im being treated for or what medicine I am taking!