Over-prescribing physicians today...seem to be more and more in the news. [check out our blog: http://addictiontreatmenttn.wordpress.com/ ] It's a serious problem today...yesterday...and for a long long time back now. Combine this with the fact we are now in our ~5th year where it has become "prescribed drugs" that now surpass illicit "drugs" as the number one type and source of drugs being abused in our present society, and you can see how this "over-prescribing" issue becomes VERY important to us all. Prescription Drugs are now the largest source of "street drugs" available in America. One has to wonder where are all these drugs are coming from today, no? Answer: They are "prescribed' - and "over" means "too often" prescribed - by the new posse of medical community "providers" out here in real America. "Providers," by the way, now include not only "doctors" but "nurse practitioners (who hold title to "prescribing the most narcotics" to patients in Tennessee than any other "provider" on this list) & "Physician Assistants" as well. So, we have a cadre of different "providers" now out here prescribing most all of what are today's most "abused drugs," obviously destroying America and all who live therein, with the vast majority of said "prescriptions" any Law Enforcement Officer will tell you today ends up on the streets for anyone's casual consumption! Hint: It's the "prescription drugs" so often found in people's medicine cabinets (legally) today that represent the source of the most abused drugs in America today. Wow. What has happened to this country? Answer: We are fast DRUGGING OURSELVES into oblivion, that's what! We're feeding ourselves narcotics and a ton of other mind-altering drugs, mostly by prescription remember, to as many who wish to step into almost any physician's office today and just say, "I'm in pain" or "I need a nerve pill"! Studies and national news stories clearly show it is far too easy to do this, for anyone (i.e. legit or not), while most offices "don't say no" even when they know the person "requesting pills" may not truly need them! (Everyone should be asking themselves, "Why not?" to that last question...and find the correct answer to that question, too!) Many patients (and we know this from 2.5 decades of actual practice) simply wander into the office "seeking drugs" today. The Law hasn't made this "highly illegal" as well, today...if you can believe that one! And they do this because it works for them, too - somewhere! The medical profession today is serving to drug our society stupid, at least as the major source for "drugs" that today are well-known to be ab-used, and most don't care much about fixing this really...or we'd do just that now, wouldn't "we"? So many love the present "access" to drugs that is within this system, so easily attained, that it has become the "norm" when operating a "walk-in clinic" to have to deal with this issue (if you dare), on a daily basis now. And when we call for help on this issue - having to deal with it, head on, in the clinic - do you think we receive real help from the local police who arrive, most often? (You do not want to hear the true answer to this question, I promise!)
And what do you think occurs when the few offices that step up to the challenge, and go ahead and "Just Say No" when they should? Answer: There arises real serious problems in the office, right in your lobby, believe me, esp. post payment at your office - if you "Just Say No" and actually play the part you were assigned to play (to properly "prescribe" to only those in true need of such drugs) as a doctor. This situation creates controversy, and controversy causes "waves" that most in this present society DO NOT want to have to deal with...from the top down today! So, the coming years ought to be extremely difficult for this country, as we are now well on our way into a Pandemic of Drug Addiction & Abuse (possibly due the problems we are not willing to deal with, that we may have helped "create" by how the present system actually operates?) with no signs of this slowing down or any solid thoroughly applied attempts to handle this vast issue, accurately. Think about this fact. It has become the norm for a doctor's office to "just write it" for them, at least "some" (vs. confronting the issue head on) if they show up today. Ask yourself "Why" this has become this way. Answers to this question are available...if you dare want to hear the Truth...which most do not, by the way, today. And we wonder why so many are now addicted to "pills"...seriously? It's a matter of who's "living in the bubble" today...of what is "reality"...and who's willing to face the truth.
So, how and why has this "over-prescribing" picture developed? Look around you today! Start by just noticing what is actually happening in this country today. It's a matter of "awaremess" first. Ask yourself this question: Why are there so many pharmacies on every corner today? It didn't used to be this way in America; can you remember when there weren't so many drug stores all around town? I can. And in the town and area where I practice, it so happens there is one MD who is busy-busy every single day writing Oxycontin, Percocet, Xanax, Hydrocodone, Opana, Morphine (and any mixture of any of the above, apparently) to all he sees, for a high cash price per visit, too. (When I worked all the area emergency room's, all over much of E. TN, this same thing was the case for "one office" in all these areas usually, as well, too.) This one here has been doing this for at least 3 years now, and any "view" of these patients being prescribed so many drugs that I've been able to see (through visits to my own office for similar or even dissimilar issues, by some of these same patients, have given me a clearer view of "what really happens over there" in that office today...at least through consistent second hand "hearsay," which is NOT proof, I do realize...but the "pattern of behaviors" seem to be consistent) that this should be stopped in all probability, immediately. But guess what happens to the probable "overprescribers" when & if someone complaints about this today? All attempts to eliminate this common "over-prescribing" problem do come back to those who complain, as just "it's being taken care of"...leave it alone. Fine. He's still there; we do know that, don't we. And his "We want more Pain Patients" signs keep getting bigger, too, in his front window. Is that a "fix" involving this? I guess it is, then, isn't it...for so many. I've seen one speak to the TBI directly about this, specifically, and the answer comes back "we can't do anything about it". The TBI seems unable to stop the "overprescribers" today, quite obviously. They also "distances themselves" from doctors trying to communicate this "internal problem" to them, directly, I've long noticed. It's as if they don't care, but I know they do. I believe it is frustrating to them, as well, and all it turns into is "churning complaints"...which could nauseate anyone, I'm sure. "Can't do anything about it". Seems a stupid statement to me, and you? Unbelievable! Something is wrong with our system - you bet it is today, friends! (Funny thing is, we are on the opposite end of the bell curve on this "overprescribing" issue...but we've even been accused of being a "pain clinic" by some, because they so often jump to a conclusion about how we "look" on the surface. See webpage on Assumptions: http://addictiontreatmenttn.com/index.php/behavior/the-assumption-machine) Everybody knows what's going on out here but nobody can do anything about it?NOTICE: The war on drugs is now over...we lost! But the government is spending ga-billions to solve it, still. And then the government I also know spends much of it's time (and your money) directly harassing people in business (hint hint) who appear "different" than most others out there today ("over-prescribing"), esp. if those "different" receive "consumer complaints" - which we've been all through for many years, now, as a "no insurance" clinic. There seems to exist for anyone "complained on" today, a whole body of government agencies totally committed on handling this perceived problem today, too. They'll all too often definitely aggressively respond to any "complaint" any dope head lodges - online, at that - without even checking out the facts or actual sides of both parties, before hand! It's something to witness, let us tell you...and it wastes a ton of resources as they "chase rabbits' gladly down the pike - on your tax dollars, too. There are so many more things they could be doing than "chase rabbits" that don't make sense, obviously, today! We've always heard, "We're required to 'investigate' all complaints"! Sure they are...and they love to do it, too. It supports their own jobs to make "bad guys' out of anybody in their sights, apparently. We've seen travesty "investigations" because nobody's watching the store today, too! Let the "over-prescribers" go free, year after year, but let's attack anyone who gets even one "complaint"...because they must be doing something wrong...if someone complains on them, right? How about this: "If you're not getting complaints, you're not doing your job RIGHT today"! Think about it...
From another angle...call it just an opinion, but some of the real reasons for this disaster - the over-prescribing and over-medication of America today - comes from what appears to be a plethora of inappropriate monitoring of prescriptions being handed out, too many drug stores (see one or two on every corner in some places, as told above), lack of education on the part of the "new posse of providers" (most of which are not "Doctors" but do consist of a lesser educated breed of "non-MD's"...we'll just have to leave it at that for now on that topic). Like the blog reveals, there are "doctors" (and a host of other "providers" - notice the convenient term now in use, not just "doctors" or MD's treating Patients anymore today) all over each area who make it their 'business" to prescribe far greater numbers of "pills" out of their offices than is the average in those same areas, by most of the area offices. The real "pill pushers" come in the form of offices that claim to specialize in "pain management" it seems obvious. These "over-prescribers," as most now call them, are who in reality have become today's street dealer's best friend...which some can call their own personal (medical office) "dealers" or "suppliers" nowadays! Yes, today's medical "provider" has become the "supplier" to what is now most used and abused on the street in the way of narcotics and nerve pills, etc. This is hard fact and not a deduction of my own by any means. Despite the pain of this truth, the problem persists despite what we already have in place for "regulation" over this - through the DEA, TBI (in Tennessee), the Medical Boards, the Dept. of Health (containing an investigative body which has seriously questionable ability today*), and other agencies such as the Pharmacy Boards. Seems "regulation" today is anything but, and the problems are escalating without any end or tempering of this "over-prescribing" in sight. Just look at the "Florida Pain Clinics" problem...now in Georgia and anywhere in between, Kentucky included, where these relatively few "providers" seem to get away with operating a mega "pill mill" that passes out literally tens of thousands of pills every single day - per office! Jeeeeeeeeeeeez Louise!! It's all about money in these few, but destructive operations, obviously. People are now traveling all throughout the USA to get down to the Southeast to pick up their fair share of "pills"! Some do it via express airline, often. They take them back home to sell at a very high profit OR they may take them themselves! (Can you spell "this is a source of significant drugs on the street" for "Addicts" and "Dealer" out of these "Pill Mills" today?) And isn't it funny how most all people can see this for what it most certainly is today, yet our "government" can't seem to do anything about any of it? My grandmother would be saying right now, "There's more to this story than we are being told" too! DEA - Licensing Boards (Pharmacy & Medical & Nursing & Physician Assistant's) - TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) - FBI - IRS - and the list goes on and on. Nobody can stop this, really? What would Grandma do? What does "truth" tell us to do about this?
*I recently attended a conference of very high level Law Enforcement Officers from all (of the "three lettered") agencies that represent what we have available to combat this difficult issue all throughout this country: TBI, DEA, FBI, IRS, AUSA, DOJ, Dept. of Health (DOH), many State & Local Law Enforcement Officials...and the list goes on...to fill that conference room with about 600 badge-carrying "enforcers". The all day program was highly informative (with information I already knew too much about), and the entire focus of the present problem most often pointed directly toward the "Providers" in practice today, which are the source of the present "drug problem" we now see in this country! All agreed (even myself) that this was entirely a correct analysis of "what's really going on here". It was interesting a comment made by one of the highest officials representing one of these Federal agencies - which was directed toward the DOH of this fine state - that went something like this: "If you guys had done your job correctly, up to this point in this dire situation, we wouldn't have needed to be gathered in this room (in such "force") for this reason, at all, today!" The implication of this seems correct: The Dept. of Health is not able to do the job they are assigned today...for so many reasons.
Someday I will tell you my own experience as an Urgent Care MD operating my own walk in clinic today - how it actually occurs when the "drug seekers" & "dealers" show up at your own place, politely requesting "pain pills" - paying you cash money upfront - when they don't need them, but want them to sell on the street or take for their own "habits". It's not that difficult to spot this for any medical professional today, believe me...they just choose not to "see it" in so many cases. We joke about it (because we can't do anything else to stop it), and appropriately refer to some of these folks as "frequent flyers" and "drug seekers". We know what's really going on here, but nobody in the system will openly discuss it? Must be, nobody really cares...or something would be done about this...wouldn't it? I wonder.
