DEA aims to cut pain drug's use

[OneBlueSky]

BY MARC KAUFMAN
Washington Post Service
February 15, 2004

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/7957766.htm

WASHINGTON - The Drug Enforcement Administration is working to make one of the most widely prescribed medications more difficult for patients to obtain as part of its stepped-up offensive against the diversion and abuse of prescription painkillers.

Top DEA officials confirm that the agency is eager to change the official listing of the narcotic hydrocodone -- which was prescribed more than 100 million times last year -- to the highly restricted Schedule II category of the Controlled Substances Act. A painkiller and cough suppressant sold as Lortab, Vicodin and 200 generic brands, hydrocodone combined with other medications has long been available under the less stringent rules of Schedule III.

The DEA effort is part of a broad campaign to address the problem of prescription drug abuse. The initiative has repeatedly pitted the agency against doctors, pharmacists and pain sufferers, and it is doing so again with the hydrocodone proposal.

Pain specialists and pharmacy representatives say the new restrictions would be a burden on the millions of Americans who need the drug to treat serious pain from arthritis, AIDS, cancer and chronic injuries, and that many sufferers are likely to be prescribed other, less effective drugs as a result.

- more . . .

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/7957766.htm

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. He who controls pain...

controls the masses.

[dweller]

3. 1st they create the pain

then they jerk away the access.

dp

[patdem]

2. If that is Oxycontin...I took 30 pills and never got high!

Not all at once as lush rimbaugh might, but as perscribed and I never felt high. I was actually afraid to even take one, because all the fear. I think any drug can be abused, but if taken as percribed it is NEVER a problem. Like gun laws....just enforce the laws on the books, we do not need for doctors to FEAR perscribing the best painkillers to their patients!!!!

[aquart]

4. Thereby driving sufferers to illegal means. Thanks.

Nobody in my family is allowed to turn down the offer of a painkiller. What we don't use is shipped to my sister, who lives in San Diego where they don't believe in pain management.

She also has a friend who makes regular runs to Tiajuana for whatever she can get.

And yes, my sister has damned good reason to need painkillers.

[bluedeminredstate]

5. This is the kind of med

that can be called in to a pharmacy and can be refilled because it is a schedule III on the list of controlled drugs. Oxycontin, Percocet, Demerol, Morphine and those big guns are scehdule II and require a written script, no refills and have much tighter controls.

Docs are much more likely to write an RX for Vicodin/Hydrocodone than Percocet because it's not a schedule II. This will change if they reschedule Hydrocodone to a schedule II.

This will make it difficult for people who need moderate pain relief to get it without their doctors jumping through hoops and gettting nervous about who's keeping tabs on them. And they ARE keeping tabs on them.

This sucks.

[icymist]

6. This is the Repuks answer about Rush getting caught!

Don't you see....Rush didn't get addicted because because he has a weak character. It's because all these drugs are so easy to obtain!