Re: Bush policy to target prescription drugs Tracking patients' use ke...

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/3/2004 7:04:59 AM Eastern Standard Time,

pghand@... writes:

Bush policy to target prescription drugs Tracking patients' use key part of

new anti-drug effort

WASHINGTON (AP) --The Bush administration is pushing for stronger state

monitoring of prescription drug use in a crackdown on the escalating abuse

of sedatives, pain relievers and stimulants

I suggest he spend a day in our shoes. All in favor, yell YES!

I hear you! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And this has changed everything I thought about the next election. I don't

care if the other candidate is Micky Mouse, that's who will get my vote!

[Guest guest]

I definitely agree. I was just having a discussion about that this

morning with a co-worker. I just hope the general public knows what

he is trying to do. And i think i would actually perfer to have

Mickey Mouse as president, atleast he would probably care about

people.

Hugs,

Jen

> WASHINGTON (AP) --The Bush administration is pushing for stronger

state

> monitoring of prescription drug use in a crackdown on the

escalating abuse

> of sedatives, pain relievers and stimulants

> I suggest he spend a day in our shoes. All in favor, yell YES!

>

> I hear you! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>

> And this has changed everything I thought about the next

election. I don't

> care if the other candidate is Micky Mouse, that's who will get my

vote!

[Guest guest]

On the flip side, we do have people in this country who are addicted to pain

medication and it is a growing problem. Yes, there needs to be a balance

between preventing addiction and providing pain medication to those in need,

but I don't think that the intent is to deliberately harm people who are in

chronic pain. The intent is to help people who are addicted to pain killers

to get the help they need and to stop doctors from prescribing medications

to addicted patients.

Rush Limbaugh and Ozzie Osbourne aren't the only people who have been

addicted to pain killers, though they are the most famous recent cases.

They wouldn't have had the problems with addiction if their doctors had been

better at monitoring the medications and had been held accountable for

over-prescribing medications. (Well, Ozzie probably would have just found

another illicit substance, but...)

I'm not saying that the policy is the right one, but just offering another

side to the discussion.

The best way to handle this issue is to take your opinions and input

straight to the source. Write to the President and your state legislators

explaining your situation and your opinions. Politicians are people

(believe it or not) and their opinions and ideas are based on their

observations and the obersvations of those they meet and talk to. If you

want them to understand your side of things, you have to tell them.

President W. Bush: president@...

Vice President Cheney: vice.president@...

Find your Senator:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Find your State Representative:

http://www.house.gov/

-Barb