PATIENTS VS. ABUSERS

An aggressive war against drugs shouldn't make it more difficult for
an elderly arthritis sufferer - or other chronic pain patients - to
get relief.

But reclassifying pain relievers that contain hydrocodone as Schedule
II narcotics will do exactly that. Doctors wouldn't be able to call in
prescriptions for the drugs, for example. A patient would need to see
a doctor to get a refill.

Some patient advocates fear that doctors might become very reluctant
to prescribe the drugs at all because of increased scrutiny.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug
Administration are considering the change because they say that abuse
of the compounds is rampant. For instance, DEA Administrator Karen
Tandy said that a University of Michigan study found that 10.5 percent
of 12th-graders had tried Vicodin, making it second only to marijuana.

Making it harder for legitimate patients to get this type of
painkiller is one way to reduce the supply. But it probably won't
prevent drug abusers from getting their hands on it. After all,
Oxycontin is already a Schedule II drug, and that hasn't stopped
people from misusing it or becoming addicted to it.

A more reasonable solution would concentrate on Internet pharmacies,
which prescribe these drugs and others without a legitimate
prescription and without any doctor's examination.

Congress is considering legislation that would more strictly regulate
prescribing drugs in cyberspace, and that's a better approach.

People shouldn't be able to get Vicodin or other narcotics online
without ever seeing a doctor -- that's asking for abuse. But forcing
patients with legitimate medical problems to go to the trouble and
expense of additional appointments every time they need a refill of
their pain medication isn't the cure.