Rick Patrick: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Much has been made recently of the “opioid epidemic” sweeping the nation. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others. These drugs are chemically related and interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain. Opioid pain relievers are generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by a doctor, but because they produce euphoria in addition to pain relief, they can be misused (taken in a different way or in a larger quantity than prescribed, or taken without a doctor’s prescription).” [NIDA. (). Opioids. Retrieved from www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids on 2017, October 12]
Because many start taking opioids innocently enough as a prescribed pain reliever after an injury or surgery, often those who become addicted do not fall into the “stereotype” often associated with drug addiction. Opioid addiction can strike anyone, at almost any age, regardless of socio-economic class.
In an effort to battle the growing problem, various remedies have been suggested. Florida Congressman Neal Dunn, M.D. has introduced the Veterans Opioid Abuse Prevention Act. Dunn's bill seeks to connect Veterans Administration (VA) health care providers to a national network of state-based prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). Doctors already use PDMPs in order to keep track of patients' prescription drug use. However, VA doctors don't have the ability to consult a national network of PDMPs in order to identify a patient from another state who may be at risk of abuse, overdose or even death. “More than 140 people in the US die from opioid abuse each day, and veterans are twice as likely than civilians. This is unacceptable,” said Dr. Dunn, who is also an Army vet and a member of the House VA Committee. “This bill instructs the VA to do what more and more private doctors are doing – connect to the national drug monitoring databases so no one slips through the cracks.”
In July, the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis issued a preliminary report that recommended “enhancing interstate data sharing among state-based prescription drug monitoring programs” as a way of battling the problem. “We cannot stand silent and watch prescription opioid abuse destroy the lives of those who fought for our freedoms,” said Dr. Dunn.
According to Nurse Practitioner Luci Strickland at Madison County Memorial Hospital (MCMH), the hospital does not dictate medicine prescribing practices. That is left up to the doctors and nurse practitioners. The group to which Strickland belongs does have written protocols regarding all prescriptions, especially narcotics. First of all, they avoid the use of narcotics, if at all possible. When it is deemed necessary to prescribe narcotics, they are only given in the form of a seven-day prescription. This policy is strictly adhered to, allowing for greater monitoring and lessening the likelihood of abuse. “Some people don't like it and they sometimes talk ugly to us, but we stick to that policy closely,” said Strickland. Strickland said they also consult the Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Program in order to monitor prescription drug use. According to Strickland, opioid use is pretty equivalent in Madison County to the rest of the state.
If you or a loved one has a problem with opioid addiction or abuse, there are resources available to you. Khristian Johnson with the Madison County Health Department suggests the first place one should go to is their primary care physician. This doctor should be the first place one would turn because he/she should be familiar with the patient's medical history. Help can also be found at the Apalachee Center, located at 225 Sumatra Rd., in Madison. Apalachee Center can be reached at (850) 973-5124. DISC Village in Perry and Tallahassee also offers substance abuse counseling. DISC Village can be reached at (850) 584-5613, or visit the DISC Village website at www.discvillage.com. For some practical tips for dealing with a loved one with an active opioid addiction, see www.discoveryplace.info/5-tips-family-and-friends-opiate-addict.