Tag Archives: prescription drug abuse

Federal rules eased for opioid addiction treatment drug

Federal regulators have relaxed restrictions on physicians prescribing the opioid addiction treatment drug buprenorphine to patients. –American Medical News

This is really good for the drug companies but not so good for addicts and their families. The doctors that are “trained” many times do not understand addiction. Many times they do not require abstinence from other drugs and rarely push the issue of treatment. Opioid replacement is a good option for many people, but my experience has shown that the people that were addicted to other drugs prior to opioid addiction, or started heavily abusing drugs at an early age don’t do as well. They tend to have a poor quality of life,  and continuously relapse.  More doctors that are untrained regarding addiction and prescribing this drug is not the answer. Methadone clinics require urine drug screening and participation in some sort of treatment participation, shouldn’t we have the same expectation for this form of opioid replacement.

Read the full article here.

Prescription drug abuse on the rise in Hawaii

How is that one of the worst drug problems in history flows straight out of our health care system?

TheFix.com reports, “It’s almost unthinkable that in an era preoccupied with ‘evidence-based’ medicine and ‘best practic’ advice, one of the worst drug problems in the United States flows right out of our health care system. Unlike other major epidemics such as those connected to methamphetamine, crack cocaine or other illegal drugs, our prescription opioid problem is full of irony and agony, because it has been fueled, to a certain extent, by the actions of well-intended medical doctors.  Physician-prescribed opioid medication misuse is multifactorial in its origins and has proved an equally complex puzzle for those who are working to find a solution.”

Prescription Drug abuse is a major problem on Maui and in the state of Hawaii. At Behavioral Health Hawaii we understand and treat prescription drug abuse. Call us at 808-234-9838 for a free 15 minute consultation.

 

Read the full TheFix.com article here.

Prescription drug abuse and addiction on the rise in Hawaii

KHON 2 reported last year that prescription drug abuse and addiction was on the rise in Hawaii. I think that the numbers in this report from 2011 are low, however there is no current statistical data available. I believe when new data is available we will see this number considerably higher. Nowadays, most of the calls I am receiving are from the loved ones of individuals addicted to Oxycontin, Oxycodone, and other opiod type drugs. This is a serious issue. Unlike Ice/Crystal Meth this drug has horrible withdrawal symptoms that should be medically monitored, and as I said before accidental overdose of these drugs have now surpassed traffic fatalities as the number one cause of accidental death.