DENYING PATIENTS A PAIN DRUG BECAUSE OF ABUSE

Re: "OxyContin Abuse May Curb Progress in Pain Field" (Aug. 13): I suffer
from peripheral neuropathy in my feet due to long-term, prescribed use of a
medication. At one point, the pain was so intense that I could not function
on a daily basis and had to be on a three-month disability from work. After
carefully and completely informing me of the drug's hazards, my neurologist
started me on OxyContin. I have had great relief from my pain and have
actually returned to work. Therefore, I am appalled and frightened that
there is even a hint that U.S. drug officials might yank it from the market
due to its illicit use and that, because of this illicit use, there is a
chilling effect on legitimate use of the drug.

Kevin Chard

Irvine

According to the article "OxyContin Abuse May Curb Progress in Pain Field"
(Aug. 13), OxyContin is being severely abused. As a result, prescriptions
of this opiate-based drug are becoming more difficult to obtain. Pain
patients face the specter of being denied access to a very effective pain
medicine with no effective substitutes.

Much of the rationale to limit OxyContin prescriptions centers around the
OxyContin-involved deaths (more than 100 so far). In comparison, about
16,000 Americans per year die from using drugs such as [ibuprofen] or
[naproxen]. It is puzzling that most of the attention has focused on
OxyContin but little effort has been made to reduce the number of deaths
caused by other drugs.

Kevin Fansler

Havre de Grace, Md.