Re: Bush policy to target prescription drugs Trackingpatients'

[Guest guest]

> I could not agree more with you...

You and I are more likely to agree on this as we have both had close

relationships with drug addicts. I was married to a drug addict, and I

suffered physical harm as a result of his drug addiction. On more than one

occassion, he was prescribed narcotic pain killers and faked long-term pain

afterwards to get his hands on more of the drugs. He also mixed the

narcotics with alcohol, which only made things worse.

I also had my own serious problem with an accidental over-dose of allergy

medicine when I was 15. The short version of the story is I am very lucky

to have had other people with me at the time, or I might have killed a bunch

of kids in a playground because I passed out behind the wheel. This was

before I even had a driver's license!

Both of these experiences influence my personal feelings about narcotics and

drug addiction.

As you pointed out, the prescription drug problem isn't limited to the USA.

In researching my paper on doctor-patient communication, I read a Canadian

article that talked about patients in Canada having serious problems with

getting inappropriate prescriptions, taking prescriptions too long, or

mixing prescriptions that should not be taken together because Canada

doesn't have a system to track patients prescriptions.

" 30 per cent had at least one 'inappropriate " prescription.' "

" Medication errors are a growing problem across North America and

believed

to be the sixth leading cause of death. Up to 10 per cent of the elderly

end up

in the hospital because of bad prescriptions, Tamblyn said. "

This article didn't address the problem of drug abuse, but it does point out

the serious need for a system to check for harmful drug interactions and

inappropriate medications. There also needs to be a check on doctors who

are prescribing medication inappropriately.

Again, I am not saying that the Bush policy is going to be the right one. I

am just saying that there are two sides to this issue and stopping

prescription drug abuse is important. It shouldn't come at the cost of

Chronic Pain patients, but the only way that the people in power will

understand the issues of chronic pain is to share your stories with your

politicians.

-Barb