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Misuse of pharmaceuticals linked to more ER visits »

Posted by: Eagle_Eye 2 years, 7 months ago

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Emergency room visits involving the abuse or misuse of pharmaceuticals--including narcotics such as methadone and OxyContin and the stimulant Ritalin--jumped by 21% from 2004 to 2005, according to a report being released today by the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

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Eagle_Eye

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Comments: 117

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Eagle_Eye
March 13, 2007, 9:45 a.m.

Some how it became acceptable for drug companies to advertise directly to consumers which has led to a lot of mis-medicated people. When multiple Doctors are involved and medications are prescribed, many times there is no control regarding over medication or drug interaction.
Then there are those that wish to self medicate: "Nearly 60% of the people who reported misusing pain relievers said they got it from a friend or relative," Lubran says. "This is not a typical person going out on the street and buying a bag of heroin. This is a different population than we've been used to working with."
Consumer beware, talk with your Doctor regarding all medication your taking together. Also don't take a friends medication, what is right for them can kill you.
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eugenegerard
March 13, 2007, 10:41 a.m.
The cost of drugs goes through the roof when advertising is done. I used to work in the beer industry. Fifty percent of the cost of a can of beer is advertising.
It should be against the law for "prescription" drugs to be advertised except to health professionals. I guarantee that medicine costs would drop significantly.
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SitNlook
March 13, 2007, 11:16 a.m.
But the Drug Companies are Lovin' It All...the Cash keeps flowin' in....Keep takin' those drugs people..with patience you can do it with good food, organic, homeopathic meds and Herbs.....tolerance and time are key here...also The Big "E" exercise and relaxation techniques.Try it you'll like it!
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fretslinger58
March 13, 2007, 11:25 a.m.
In some respects, this may be due as well, to an over-medicated population. We now have a situation where young children are learning that medication is just a part of daily normality.
All the "chemical" remedies that have come forth these past few years, and the pharm. companies' "add campaign", can place the MDs between a rock & a hard place for sure.
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jordan11
March 13, 2007, 11:31 a.m.
Don't ever trust a Rx commercial. They are out to sell their products even though side effects may include, "lymphoma, dry mouth or headaches or even death, but those side effects were not enough to stop taking the meds"....yea sure!>>>>
It's crazy. I saw a commercial to cure nail 'fungus' & the side affects are horrific! Dang, just paint your toe nails, and move on! It's not worth dying to have them look prettier.
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Eagle_Eye
March 13, 2007, 12:08 p.m.
Mr Managing Doctor tells me not to read the side effects because I get them all. LOL
Drug reps are fading fast from Doctor offices because the drug companies have figured out the Docs are giving them out free to people that can't afford them.
I also have a list of my drugs at the Pharmacy and they don't pay attention, they just fill them and stick labels on them.
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joeblowe
March 13, 2007, 12:46 p.m.
It's interesting to me that anti-anxiety AND pain killers are both being abused. Possibly for the same reason. If you can't get ahold of the anti-anxiety drug, maybe you can bum some vicodin from your buddy. These would appear to be symptoms rather than the disease. And by that I mean: too much stress. And, it keeps getting worse. Traffic gets worse, health care costs keep going up, national security is an ongoing concern, the housing market is falling apart, job security is a joke (unless maybe you live in Bangalapoor), everyone EXPECTS you to have a cell phone so you can be available, to everyone, all the time, energy costs are soaring, etc. etc. Truly, it's a wonder we aren't all totally freaking nuts.
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cswest99
March 13, 2007, 1:09 p.m.
This has nothing to do with drug companies. I'm an ER doc, and I see this everyday....malingerers. People coming in and faking symtpoms so they can get narcotics. I'm not just talking about simple aches and pains. They've gotten really sophisticated like endometriosis, SMA syndrome, fibromylagia, kidney stones, Lupus pain...etc. I'm going to write a book about all the fakers and legal narcotoc addicts called Astonishing Tales of the Vicodin Trade. If very frustrating as a doctor...all these A**holes wasting my time and thousands of tax payer dollars so they can get a small handful of narcs!
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carran
March 13, 2007, 1:34 p.m.
cswest99, you're right but you must admit that it's not true in EVERY case. Even considering what you said doesn't this indicate a deeper problem then? MAybe you should be recommending rehab for these people. Then there's a bigger issue b/c we know that not everyone can afford rehab nor want it. I hear you though b/c my sister is a paramedic, whom worked for a big hospital in MO, but now is an office manager at what some call Urgentcare. And she has had some very interesting stories regarding what you have already touched on.
Basically, the few bad apples have spoiled it for the whole bunch. Regardless, I think the pharmaceutical companies cover their tails with those little printed disclaimers or the ones you hear on the commercials that are stated rather quickly.
Either way, we must admit that pharmaceutical companies have become a BIG BUSINESS, so to speak, in America.
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Eagle_Eye
March 13, 2007, 2:14 p.m.
I'm still sitting here in the woods with dial up, perhaps mountainman or some one else with DSL can run a search for me and see how many cases of Marijuana Overdoses does an ER see each year??
I would really like to know, just MJ, not combined with any other drugs...anyone??
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mssofie
March 13, 2007, 2:29 p.m.
The abuse of ADD/HD meds. (ritalin, aderall etc.) has increased not only because its a speed like cocaine, but many hs and college students that don't have ad/hd take and steal from others who truly have this disorder. They believe they will do better in testing and grades. However, they tend to become addicted because it is a stimulant and cheaper than cocain especially when they steal it.
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mssofie
March 13, 2007, 3:01 p.m.
As far as the opium based meds are concerned (OxyC and others too numerous to mention) these addiction in the US go back a long time. My parents tell me that they would purchase a purple elixer at the pharm. that was great for coughs and pain, especially in infants and kids. It contained opium which became highly addictive. Many people escially during the '20s and on were abusing these over the counter meds. Unfortunately by the time this med. and others containing opiates and cocaine were banned a lot of people were addicted and went to the streets to buy.
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AmpLee
March 13, 2007, 4:14 p.m.
There was a post up there^^ about drug seekers in ER's.
Here's a short story.
I cut my leg very badly with a razor sharp knife a couple years ago, high up on the thigh thru shorts. Blood everywhere. Deep. I'm looking at 'the white meat'. I looked like Charles Bronson in 'Deathwish' where he's doctoring himself in a restroom to hide an encounter with knife-weilding thugs. Just a mess. Went thru a whole roll of paper towels, tried duct taping it shut, just wouldn't stop.
So I call someone after duct-taping a towel to my leg, and we drive to the emergency room. I put down newspapers in hopes of not getting blood in his car.
We get stopped by the police. Here someone was involved in a serious bar fight near-by, and someone fled the scene in my driver's make of car.
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Eagle_Eye
March 13, 2007, 4:44 p.m.
There is a lot of misuse of medications because there are a lot of people dealing with issues, i.e., pain, depression, bi polar, ADHD, psychological problems, health issues that don't feel good or have a good life.
These people only know "self medication" because some where the heath industry failed them and they didn't get proper treatment for what there problem is.
People only do drugs because they don't feel good or want to step out of reality. There are serious problems involved with drug abuse besides the addiction from being on them for a reason.
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ballbuster2
March 13, 2007, 6:47 p.m.
well there is no problem with getting pill's at a va clinic/hospital. hell i walked through the entrance at the tucson,az va and a volunteer worker was asking every person that entered if they were depressed. and me being the cheerful person that i am, i hate that crap hole facility, i said yes! isn't everyone that comes here! approximately 2-3 weeks later i recieved my monthly supply of drug's, AND what appeared to be a 3 month supply of anti-depressants. i have never been offered anti-depressants before that, not even after my return from vietnam. what a crap hole that place is!!!!, but, it is pretty!! just not a place for a sick person to rely on.
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Beeboppin71
March 13, 2007, 7:41 p.m.
Big Pharm is wrong to advertise to the General Public. Those commercials cost a fortune and kick up the price of meds.
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KYRed
March 13, 2007, 7:58 p.m.
It's George Bush's fault. He is causing so much stress and anxiety.
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ONEMEMPHISDUDE
March 13, 2007, 8:44 p.m.
..just imagine how this situation will become even more complicated when The Government takes over Health Care. You think we have problems now? Wow.
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Eagle_Eye
March 13, 2007, 9:32 p.m.
Thanks ;)
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money100
March 13, 2007, 9:24 p.m.
So much shame and blame ... I can honestly say, I have never seen an advertisement for oxycotin, hydrocodone or methadone ... the drug companies usually advertise new drugs, as the public is consistenly wanting to be AWARE, which they should be ...
It is not the drug companies that are responsible for people overdosing ... let's take responsibility ... if someone wants to overdose, you can do that on over the counter drugs ... and you can purchase many of the drugs over the internet (benzodiazepines) ... it is not anyone's fault but our own if we become a drug addict ... if there is a will, there is a way.
And it is not the doctor, who is ill informed ... I remember a few doctors who were sued because a patient came in wanting pain medication and the doctor refused; he was sued for lack of sufficient medical care ... there always has been and always will be malingers ... unfornately doctors can only go by what they are told by the patient ... they really aren't bad guys ...
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Eagle_Eye
March 13, 2007, 9:31 p.m.
???? I don't think any one here has blamed the Doctors, in fact we admit they are in the middle in the ER room and in the office.
The drug companies are at fault for peddling drugs and the drug abusers are at fault for overdosing.
The point of the story is that there is so much over dosing going on of serious drugs that are flowing into the ER's.
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money100
March 13, 2007, 9:36 p.m.
cikbeus99 ... Your spelling is hillarious!