Written by Dallea Caldwell
What’s the most common treatment prescribed to children directly after dental surgery? Vicodin and Tylenol. Why so strong a prescription? Because practitioners don’t want late night phone calls from frightened parents with their crying children in pain. This according to an NPR talk I listened to last week. It’s a chilling example of the ways in which both doctors and patients may over-rely on prescription drugs to simply get rid of pain or discomfort, no matter how moderate or short-term.
So, should patients be given 100 days worth of Vicodin to get them through a recovery period expected to end in a matter of weeks? The FDA, DEA, and many in the medical profession say no. In fact, they point to a growing opiate addiction epidemic as evidence that pill culture is not only excessive, but that it has dire consequences.
– Nearly 15,000 Americans die from prescription pain medication overdoses every year.
– 12 million Americans reported non-medical use (i.e. abuse) of painkillers in 2010.
– Abuse of this class of drugs costs as much as $72.5 billion in annual healthcare costs.
The fact is that hydrocodone-based painkillers like Vicodin act like endorphins, binding to opiate receptors in the brain just like heroin and other illegal, psychoactive drugs — making the growth of prescription painkiller addiction especially alarming. In response, the FDA has submitted official recommendations for the federal government to reclassify Vicodin and other opiate painkillers from Schedule III to Schedule II. The FDA-recommended change would automatically lead to tighter restrictions on these dangerous, but vital, medications.
If the Federal Government passes the change into law, users of painkillers can expect the following changes or inconveniences:
– Prescription quantities will be further limited: a maximum of 90 days.
– Refills are strictly prohibited, but multiple prescriptions are allowed.
– Doctors may no longer call-in prescriptions, a signed physical prescription delivered is required.
Many states detail even more restrictions on Schedule II drugs. More details on state-based regulations here.
Is the FDA Making a Mistake?
Of course, there are many long-term pain sufferers for whom life would be unbearable without strong pain management medications. For those people, the FDA recommendation may feel like an attack. More than slight inconveniences, the new loops risk prolonging their suffering over long nights, weekends, or any time they may have difficulty accessing their medication for any reason. Patient advocates say that there are tools people in the medical profession can use to screen for opiate addiction signs and risk factors if they have the proper education; and, innocent pain sufferers should not be punished for the abuses of a few.
So… do you or anyone you know suffer from long-term pain or opiate addiction? What do you think? Is the FDA is making a mistake?
