News (Media Awareness Project) - US MA: Patients Getting Runaround With Legitimate Oxy Rx |
| Title: | US MA: Patients Getting Runaround With Legitimate Oxy Rx |
| Published On: | 2005-09-09 |
| Source: | Boston Herald (MA) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-15 13:43:23 |
PATIENTS GETTING RUNAROUND WITH LEGITIMATE OXY RX
As federal and state lawmakers rally to crack down on the Bay State's
OxyContin epidemic, critics say pain specialists nationwide are being
unfairly targeted and people with chronic pain are suffering needlessly.
"The war on drugs has become a war on sick people and doctors are caught in
the cross fire," said Harvard-trained Dr. Frank Fisher, a California pain
doctor who was slapped with drug and murder charges in 1999 that were later
dropped.
Fisher is among a group of experts meeting today at a Washington, D.C.,
conference to discuss the effects of the Drug Enforcement Administration's
"war on prescription painkillers."
The government's campaign has doctors "scared to death" to prescribe
certain painkillers and patients who need them can't find physicians to
treat them, said Radley Balko, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute, host
of the conference.
Federal and state lawmakers have filed bills to have OxyContin banned in
Massachusetts and nationwide. Lawmakers are holding a congressional hearing
in Boston next week to look into the state's drug epidemic and investigate
the regulation of prescription painkillers - including OxyContin -- nationwide.
While officials say OxyContin abuse is a growing problem in Massachusetts,
those who need the powerful painkiller are suffering.
Evelyn Daniel of Cambridge was hospitalized for five days last month after
having a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.
Daniel was given a prescription for OxyContin but was unable to fill it for
24 hours.
Hospital staff didn't prepare Daniel for the trouble she would have.
Because pharmacies have been robbed, many don't stock OxyContin and opt to
order the pills, which can take anywhere from one to several days to arrive.
Daniel said she called several pharmacies and one pharmacist even refused
to discuss the prescription over the phone.
"It was just an absolute nightmare. I toughed it out until I could get it,"
Daniel said. "These drug addicts are making it difficult for people who
really need the drugs."
As federal and state lawmakers rally to crack down on the Bay State's
OxyContin epidemic, critics say pain specialists nationwide are being
unfairly targeted and people with chronic pain are suffering needlessly.
"The war on drugs has become a war on sick people and doctors are caught in
the cross fire," said Harvard-trained Dr. Frank Fisher, a California pain
doctor who was slapped with drug and murder charges in 1999 that were later
dropped.
Fisher is among a group of experts meeting today at a Washington, D.C.,
conference to discuss the effects of the Drug Enforcement Administration's
"war on prescription painkillers."
The government's campaign has doctors "scared to death" to prescribe
certain painkillers and patients who need them can't find physicians to
treat them, said Radley Balko, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute, host
of the conference.
Federal and state lawmakers have filed bills to have OxyContin banned in
Massachusetts and nationwide. Lawmakers are holding a congressional hearing
in Boston next week to look into the state's drug epidemic and investigate
the regulation of prescription painkillers - including OxyContin -- nationwide.
While officials say OxyContin abuse is a growing problem in Massachusetts,
those who need the powerful painkiller are suffering.
Evelyn Daniel of Cambridge was hospitalized for five days last month after
having a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.
Daniel was given a prescription for OxyContin but was unable to fill it for
24 hours.
Hospital staff didn't prepare Daniel for the trouble she would have.
Because pharmacies have been robbed, many don't stock OxyContin and opt to
order the pills, which can take anywhere from one to several days to arrive.
Daniel said she called several pharmacies and one pharmacist even refused
to discuss the prescription over the phone.
"It was just an absolute nightmare. I toughed it out until I could get it,"
Daniel said. "These drug addicts are making it difficult for people who
really need the drugs."
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