Attached a link http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-10-13/pill-mill-drug-trafficking/50896242/1?loc=interstitialskip to an interesting article in USA Today titled "States target prescriptions by 'pill mills'" highlighting the Florida painmill problem, the actions taken to combat this issue which include the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program ( PDMP) . We should be ware that the death rate from oxycodone in Florida increased 265% from 2003 to 2009, the CDC found. By 2009, the number of deaths involving prescription drugs was four times the deaths involving street drugs, the CDC said in a July report. Hopefully, the number will decrease but this requires our active participation and support INCLUDING our use of the just recently launched PDMP, or E-FORCSE.
I am using this program now for the last week and am pleased to report that it truly works! For example, I have implemented a protocol which requires that the prescription record of each and every patient who receives a controlled substances has to be crosschecked with the medication listed on E-FORCSE.
I have already discovered that several of my patients did not inform me that they visit different physicians to receive controlled substances. One patient who is currently being treated with Suboxone received prescriptions for a total of 360 Hydrocodone pills from another MD "specializing" in pain management. I called her and she was very surprised to find out that I knew what she was prescribed. She tried to convince me that she only fills these scripts for "psychological reasons" but is not taking but hoarding them at home. I asked her to come to my office for a follow-up visit including drug testing but she never showed up. I suspect that she may sell, or share this medications with others.
I urge you to obtain your username and password and to incorporate this valuable tool into your practice.
Yours
Bernd
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There are many types of recreation users of known prescription drugs such as vicodin, or hydrocodone. People who are familiar with using these drugs to get an high or feel that light headedness, the laid back all is well feeling will let you into your secrets if you were to only ask them. Getting an overview of how and how much of each of the chemicals are used is very important. For some people substance use is a part of growing up and when they are unable to give it up, it becomes a part of their lives. The responsibility is then on the user to use the hundreds of known drugs with care to ensure that there are not detrimental situations arising from such usage. Recreational use of vicodin and other drugs should be done with responsibility.
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