Editorial – Doctor’s Roles in Prescription Drug Addiction

Everyone knows that heroin, coke, meth and other street drugs are dangerous and potentially-fatal. But what about prescription drugs? To the average person, prescription drugs tend to be overlooked as a major danger because they are both legal and approved by doctors. But what happens when doctors, influenced by greed, or celebrity or power, allow themselves to give prescription drugs to those who do not need them? Although most doctors choose their profession because they want to help people, not all doctors are motivated by altruistic interests. There are those doctors who are more interested in lining their pockets than they are in curing people. Although it's too often used as an example, we can't help but look at the death of musician Michael Jackson. Just seeing the amount of prescribed medications he was on is staggering. According to a BBC article posted in November of 2011, Michael Jackson was on a cocktail of: Diazepam Lorazepam Midazolam Lidocaine Ephedrine Propofol He was on Propofol, which is such a strong…

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ER Doctors Pressured to Provide Opiates for Toothaches

The New York Times recently reported on an emergency room doctor in South Carolina who is wary of patients who complain of toothaches. Dr. Bruce Lobitz fears that the majority of these patients are using tooth pain as an excuse to get prescriptions for opiate painkillers like OxyContin, OxyNEO, or Vicodin. His fears are well founded – almost all the dental patients he sees request a painkiller prescription to "tide them over" until they can get to a dentist. Some of the even go so far as to claim they are allergic to all drugs except Vicodin. In these cases it is hard to deny a vicodin addiction is at the root of the issue. It's common for people who are without medical insurance to visit the ER when facing a health crisis. In many states, adult dental benefits available under Medicaid have been cut back or eliminated altogether. For these patients, the ER may be the only recourse for tooth pain. Unfortunately, ER doctors have no way of…

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