Do you think doctors over perscribe pain medications?

Question

Or do you think it's well monitored?

Answer 1

It is true that doctors over prescribe pain medications. It is also true that narcotic prescriptions are very well monitored by the DEA..

But I am afraid that most of the prescribing is from the demand of the patients. Even when a doctor thinks that the pain isn't very serious he/she has to consider a couple of things:

1. The doctor will consider that maybe he is underestimating the pain of his patient. Better to over-treat than to make the patient suffer.

2. Possibly the patient will complain to the doctors employer if the patient doesn't get what they think they deserve. Hospitals and some HMOs have turned into customer service companies where the patient (customer) is "always right." I have seen this with many kinds of prescribed medications, ie. antibiotics for viral illnesses, blood pressure medications, anxiety medications, etc.

3. Sometimes the doctor doesn't want to piss off the patient because an angry patient is MUCH more likely to sue. And even a BS suit is going to cost the doctor tens of thousands of dollars and they'd rather just avoid it at all.

Are medications prescribed when the need is unclear? Yes. But generally doctors aren't just "handing out pain meds." They weigh the pros and cons before whipping out the Rx pad.

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Here is an example of what is faced by MDs. After my intitial posting I opened my mail, in it was a notice from my state's Dept of Health. This letter tells me about a patient that I took care of last fall who came in crying of terrible excrutiating pain from an injury reported to be only a few hours old. Having concern for the patient, I wrote an Rx for oxycodone. Todays letter points out that this same patient got 30 oxycodone 2 days before coming to me -- the pt never told me about that... but on further review, this patient appearantly didn't tell the 5 other doctors that they went to in November with what I have to assume were fabricated stories of injury. This pt amassed 231 percocet tablets in 25 days. Obviously Rx writing for controlled substances is monitored -- since I did receive this letter. It will go into the pt's file now.... but it is 3 months late and there is no repercussion.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

You have pinched muscles in your back putting the pressure on the discs to cause them to fail. Your back muscles are the only things to give that much pressure for the time needed to cause that failure. Freeing up your back muscles will take the pressure off the discs to give you some of your life back by getting rid of the bulk of the pain. Here's how to free up your back muscles for that relief: Back: (do from a sitting position) Place your left hand on your left leg next to your body. Place your right hand over your left shoulder, fingers over the back and the palm in the front and firmly pull down on them and hold. After 30 seconds slowly lower your body forward and to the outside of your left leg, keeping your left arm fairly straight as you do. When you reach your lap remain there for another 10 seconds, release the pressure but rest there for another 30 seconds. Then reverse your hand positions and do your right side. For best results relax your body first by taking a deep breath and exhaling then remain this relaxed.

Answer 4

yes I know a doc in my area that gives a woman 180 perk 30s amonth and 260 hydos 10mgs a month valium and she has severe copd but if she was taking all those pills she would got into respatory failure because that much a day would decrease your breathing plus she get cough med with hydrocodone in it. does tthis make any sence to anyone nope but she has one hell of an income....

Answer 5

You're trying to make me laugh, right? You want me rolling on the floor laughing? Yes?

If anything, doctors UNDER PRESCRIBE pain meds of all types.

I have multiple types of arthritis, and as a result I'm a chronic pain patient. Oh, and because of the arthritis, I CAN'T EVEN GET DOWN TO THE FLOOR TO ROLL AROUND LAUGHING!

Answer 6

I think it is getting better.. but there are still alot of doctors who make a living doing nothing but pushing pills. I live in Ky and I know there has been a big sweep of doctors who were doing this. They have lost their license to practice and some have even been charged with felonies.

Answer 7

I think they do not prescribe it enough! I have tried to get pain medicine for my leg with serious pain and they try to send me to a pain clinic.

Answer 8

Yes, they do..............i'm in pain management and they have given me everything under the sun ????????????????????????????????? Morphine, Vicodin, Fentynal patches, asked me if i wanted a morphine pump..............................oxycodone, do you want me to go on???????????????? I don't know if it's good or bad sometimes but i know i wish i wasn't in so much pain and didn't have to take pills................

Answer 9

It's like every thing there is dr.'s who do and dr's who dont

Answer 10

Yes.