The mismanagement of pain medicine is worldwide

Published on Wednesday, August 5, 2009 9:17 AM MST

Dear Editor:

May I first say that my prayers are with the family of Jeffery Harvey at this time. What a great loss to us all. Jeffrey would have accomplished great things had he survived this horrid fate of addiction.

It would seem as if there is a widespread dilemma with the drugs Oxycontin and morphine, not just in your beautiful city of Safford, but everywhere. . .even worldwide.

Intended to relieve moderate to severe pain, these drugs also work on the mind to create a vacation of sorts from the stresses of life. With great potential for overdose, these medications are killing right and left and have been for years. How does this happen? Are there no cross-checking computers in the pharmacies and ERs from state to state or town to town? Where is the weak link?

My 58-year-old sister, afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis, recently passed away in Safford. Bless her heart. She had two doctors — MDs, mind you — in Safford and one MD in Tucson, a PA and a nurse practitoner in Safford, all of whom were giving her multiple prescriptions for her different pain meds: Ultram, Vicodin, Oxycontin, Neurontin plus her Methotrexate.

Besides the licensed caregivers carelessly dishing out the drugs, in my sister's case there were predatory neighbors and employees at her senior apartment complex taking advantage of the elderly there by supplying the stronger morphine tablets to support the habit, trading food stamps, aquired food and lesser-milligram pain pills in the trade. We all knew of the addiction and made attempts to help, but to what end? We put our trust in the professionals to do this and support us as her concerned family.

The mismanagement of these meds is huge, and although the health caregivers do not want the patient to be in pain, the chronic patients need extra attention from some entity to ensure the best quality of life for our loved ones. It is too late for my dear, sweet sister and for Jeffery, but maybe not for the rest of those addicted to these medications.

Something has to be done. The weak link has to be found. God bless the infirm, and God bless their caretakers,

Suzan Chilcoat

Socorro, NM

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Comments

14 comment(s)

To DMiller wrote on Aug 14, 2009 9:26 AM:

" You are absolutely right about people who suffer from chronic pain. The feeling of getting "high" does not happen if you are taking the medication for pain that is debilitating. I also have chronic pain and manage it with medication, exercise and physical therapy. When it is so bad that I am incapacitated, I am grateful for the pain meds. It is a shame that those who really need it will be denied because of abuse and financial gain sought by predators and addicts. "

bad news wrote on Aug 12, 2009 8:44 AM:

" Just wait, there's a new drug coming out that will be much harder on folks. It's Opana or Dilaudid. It's 5 X as strong as oxycontin/codone. It's just too hard for folks to get off of. Be carefull...

My condlolenses to the Harvey family. "

DMiller wrote on Aug 11, 2009 10:58 PM:

" Chronic, severe pain sufferers do not have an addiction problem. There is a pain management organization (the pamphlet is at the hospital) that will assist pain sufferers with getting the drugs and alternative therapy that will help them. Speaking as the wife of a man who lives with severe pain - addiction to the drugs is not even a fleeting thought. Not being in pain takes precedence. Addicts will get their "fix" wherever and however they can - limiting access will only hurt the ones who need them. "

Some facts wrote on Aug 9, 2009 5:14 PM:

" The use of multiple pain meds as you described above is actually an attempt by the physician to lessen the amount of narcotic prescribed. Additionally, methotrexate is not a pain med. These meds can safely be given together. There is a state wide program through the DEA that monitors narcotic scripts but it is very time consuming to use on every pt. There has to be some patient and family responsibility here. US society does not tolerate its members suffering in pain, pain is treated with narcotics, and adverse outcomes are going to happen here. "

NOT Finished wrote on Aug 9, 2009 1:17 AM:

" In response to Resident's comment, I can only say that I agree with you. An addict will not give up their sources. Not because it keeps everyone feeling safe and warm and fuzzy, but because they need the drugs. Birds of a feather, you know. Not accusations....but fact. "

Concerned wrote on Aug 7, 2009 3:12 PM:

" Joe- It is not about hate, it is about the wonderment at the ease that we shrug off our own failings as individuals or as family and try to pass the buck onto someone else. For this family it starts and ends at the mirror. "

JoePublic wrote on Aug 7, 2009 2:36 PM:

" Uh..the world is full of hate and pain.
Like drug use is not part of the human history. Aren't Americians the ones that wanted white bread when it's not good for you..?
Let me tell you why...
Oh right..liike a history can be explained in 100 words or less.
This site needs a place where citizens can list ideas, not just repond to 'em.
Can I get a "Yeah, I'm free Americian from ya?"
It's cosmic love and us with a voice..via the internet.. "

Concerned wrote on Aug 7, 2009 10:34 AM:

" This family has a long and significant history of drug use/abuse in and out of the Gila Valley. Bottom line addiction starts with the user and this family knows it. They also know how to work the system to get help in the recovery process. "

jay wrote on Aug 7, 2009 9:25 AM:

" wow not convinced those are some pretty harsh words!! despite what this kid was or wasnt doing hes gone now. i to agree that addiction is weakness. people constantly say they wanna quit but cant, thats not true. there is help out there and it is not impossible to just make up your mind and quit, its just how much are you will to inconvienence yourself to get off the drug. "

resident wrote on Aug 7, 2009 9:24 AM:

" I believe that some of the elderly who need the medication can not help but to become "hooked”. They would have no quality of life with out the medication. As for this Jeff I do not know him so I can not judge. I am not the judge of any person, but I do feel pity for those who condemn and point fingers and try to destroy others lives due to they own misery. I do know the woman who passed away recently, she would have no party of accusations or attempted destruction of others lives. "

PainAddiction Issues wrote on Aug 7, 2009 8:15 AM:

" I agree that the primary responsibility lies on the patient. However, both pain and addiction are complex issues and unfortunately are not taken seriously by both the patient and provider. The US DEA and AZ Board of Medical Examiners has taken a pretty hard look at the prescribing habits of certain local providers recently and I imagine that access to narcotics and other controlled substances will get much tighter here in the coming months. "

Well... wrote on Aug 6, 2009 10:30 AM:

" I think too much blame is placed on the medical providers. Put the blame where it belongs...with drug addict that has the game of manipulating the system refined to an art. The insurance and medical providers ARE working on doing something about the addicts who lie, cheat and go to multiple docs for rx's and one doc doesn't know about the other. Addicts are the best in the world at telling lies. The medical communities are damned if they do and damned if they don't. "

not convinced wrote on Aug 6, 2009 10:06 AM:

" patients just need to be more responsible, addiction is weakness, something that people with inner strength are immune to. jeff wasnt going to do anything with his life, he had been a lost cause since i met him my freshman year in high school 6 years ago, that "obituary" pity party that his family wrote was mostly fabricated to make jeff look like a victim. he was abusing pills before everyone knew that our community had even the slightest issue with that, im tired of seeing phony nonsense about him being taken advantage of by the drugs. "

Insider wrote on Aug 5, 2009 1:44 PM:

" If some some of the healthcare providers in the valley (and elsewhere) were doing on the street what they do in their offices, they'd go to prison. There are way too many prescription drugs being abused and diverted. There needs to be much better control and regulation of controlled substances as well as evidence based management of chronic pain. "

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