Why do they never talk about how many substance abusers go/stay in recovery?

Posted on May 15, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

lietotruth

It is estimated that there are abt TWO MILLION dedicated opiate substance abusers… of those abt 28 K die of unintentional or suicidal overdoses.. that two million is abt 0.5% of our population and those that die are about 0.07% of those abusing opiates. At the current rate of 51 billion/yr spending fighting the war on drugs.. that comes down to abt $25,000 per substance abuser.. that is about 2.5 times what we spend — as a nation – on healthcare per capita. Since nearly all of those abusing opiates are suffering from a mental health disease… would that $25,000  per capita be better spend on mental health therapy on all those suffering from an addictive personality disorder ?  Of course, our judicial system would be the BIGGEST LOSER when funding is redirected toward healthcare.
Summary: 
The President is joined by hip hop artist Macklemore to discuss the opioid addiction epidemic in America.

In this week’s address, Grammy Award-winning artist Macklemore joined President Obama to discuss a disease that affects far too many Americans: addiction. Macklemore opened up about his own experience, his life in recovery, and the loss of a friend who overdosed on prescription drugs at a young age – emphasizing that substance use disorder affects people from all walks of life.

To underscore the importance of Macklemore’s story, the President noted that we can help those suffering in private by making the conversation public, and we should do everything we can to make treatment available to everyone who needs it. While the House of Representatives passed several bills on opioids this week, without more funding to expand treatment, these bills will not be enough to provide Americans the help they need. President Obama said there is hope, and that when we treat substance use disorder as the public health problem it is, more people will get the help they need.

If you are looking for treatment in your area, call 1-800-662-HELP.

Addiction is like any other disease – it doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care what color you are, whether you’re a guy or a girl, rich or poor, whether you live in the inner-city, a suburb, or rural America. This doesn’t just happen to other people’s kids or in some other neighborhood. It can happen to any of us.

Award-winning Hip Hop Artist Macklemore

Every day we lose more Americans to this devastating disease. And every day that passes without Congressional action on funding to support the treatment needs of those suffering from opioid use disorders is a missed opportunity to save lives.

Drug overdoses now take more lives every year than traffic accidents

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Millions of Americans are in recovery from opioid and other substance use disorders because they got the treatment and care they needed. That’s why the President continue to call on Congress to provide the resources to ensure that every American who wants treatment can get it and start the road to recovery.

 

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Before toxicology report… one person’s death could cause change in opiate regs for ENTIRE STATE

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

PrincePrince’s Death Could Cause Changes in Opiate Regulations in Minnesota

411mania.com/music/princes-death-could-cause-changes-in-opiate-regulations-in-minnesota/

TMZ is reporting that the recent tragic passing of Prince could potentially cause changes in opiate regulation in the state of Minnesota.

The agency that regulates Minnesota doctors has reportedly said that it will no longer tolerate opiate abuse in the state during a recent meeting today for The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice. Members at the meeting are said to have asserted that opiate prescription practices are out of control and major changes have to be made.

Board members acknowledged the problem with opiate prescription practices in the state, and said that new regulations have to be put in place to monitor doctors and the writing of prescriptions.

Members at the event also claimed that doctors have been lazy about writing opiate prescriptions instead of providing medication in the form of less addictive and less dangerous forms of treatment.

Prince’s name was not discussed at the meeting, but one member apparently claimed the push was due to his recent death. Prince reportedly almost died from a Percocet overdose six days before he later passed on.

 

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Ken Mc Kim: On CDC opiate guidelines

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

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Did Einstein saying anything about the insanity of petitions ?

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

It seems lieinsteinnothingke every week I see another petition for something dealing with the chronic pain community..  The one that I believe got the most signatures was the one calling for the one calling for the resignation of the head of the DEA, because he made a statement that MJ was a “joke”… that petition gained around 150,000 signatures.  That was several months ago and as of a couple of weeks ago.. the head of the DEA has not changed.

Here is what the White House petition promises if you get 100,000 signatures in 30 days.

The White House Reviews and Responds

Once the petition reaches the required threshold, it will be put in a queue to be reviewed by the White House. Others can still sign the petition while it is awaiting a response. When the White House responds, everyone who has signed the petition will get email from the White House to let you know that we’ve reviewed and responded to the petition.

I may be wrong, but there really  seem to be NO REAL PROMISE OF ACTION in what the White House staff will do, if there are 100,000 signatures in 30 days.  Just the promise to REVIEW AND RESPOND.  Has anyone seen any ACTION out of any of these petitions ?

How many in the chronic pain community have letters from their members of Congress promising to “keep in mind your views when a vote comes up”… perhaps those who have received those letters should look at the recent bill(s) passed by Congress … that will adversely affect those in the chronic pain community .. with NEARLY UNANIMOUS VOTES.

I may be wrong, but it appears that the only place that your opinion will have a lasting impact on those in Congress .. is your opinion you express in the voting booth !

cryingeyevote

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Ed Coghlan will join the online support group to listen and to discuss the issues facing the chronic pain community. It begins at 9pm EDT/6pm PDT on Wednesday

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

National Pain Report to Join LiveSupportGroup.Com on Wednesday

National Pain Report to Join on Wednesday

The founder and editor of the National Pain Report will be featured at the LiveSupportGroup.Com meeting on Wednesday night (May 18).

Ed Coghlan will join the online support group to listen and to discuss the issues facing the chronic pain community. It begins at 9pm EDT/6pm PDT.

“Ed has always been very supportive of LiveSupportGroup and believed in our mission and the benefits of live Peer to Peer Support,” said Robin Viola-Pfeffer who with her husband Adam founded the online support group.

“The National Pain Report writes critical stories that help our members and people all over the world. LiveSupportGroup’s members discuss the NPR’s stories frequently. We thought that this would give our members the opportunity to directly speak with Ed and tell him what interests them. What is most important to them. Furthermore, we will be discussing other subjects like Ed’s Opinion on ‘state of pain’ today.”

For Coghlan, who was a very successful television news director in Montana and Los Angeles, the opportunity to speak with the chronic pain community is timely.

“The chronic pain story begins with the patient experience. If we are going to continue to do a good job of reaching the chronic pain audience, then interacting with them is the smart thing to do,” Coghlan said. “To speak directly with a group of chronic pain patients will help the National Pain Report evolve its coverage to make sure it is relevant for the people we want to reach – the chronic pain community.”

The National Pain Report has attracted the largest chronic pain audience on the internet.

“I am very excited to join Robin, Adam and Steve Ariens on Wednesday. I expect to learn more than I share,” Coghlan added.

 

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51 BILLION A YEAR for the war on drugs IS NOT ENOUGH ?

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

cryingeyevoteHouse takes first steps on opioids bill

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/279446-house-overwhelmingly-approves-bipartisan-opioids-legislation

The House on Tuesday easily cleared three bills aimed at reducing opioid addiction, the first of more than a dozen bipartisan bills up for consideration this week.

Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly, 410-1, to approve legislation by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) which calls for a broad, five-year study into federal grants dedicated to preventing opioid abuse. Two other bills passed by voice vote earlier Tuesday.

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Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) was the only member to vote against the bill from McCarthy and Hoyer.

McCarthy called his measure a major step toward “accountability” in government programs aimed at halting and preventing addiction.

“We need to actually help stop the abuse, not just create programs to talk about it,” McCarthy said on the House floor just before the vote. “We need to use the power of data to determine whether these programs actually work.”

“This bill will help ensure that future investments … are allocated in the most effective way possible,” Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democrat, added.

The relatively minor pieces of legislation approved Tuesday are among 18 opioids bills slated for votes this week. All are expected to pass with broad bipartisan support, the office of Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Tuesday. Hoyer also said Tuesday he believed the bills would “likely pass.”

At the same time as the vote, the House Rules Committee weeded through dozens of amendments on some of the remaining opioid bills. Among the most controversial of those bills is one from Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) that calls for a review of prescriber practices — something that is opposed by some doctors groups.

Funding also remains a key issue for House Democrats and some Republicans, who believe more resources are needed to fight the national epidemic.

House GOP leaders plan to merge their opioids bills — which do not include new funding — into a final package next week. That legislation will then be combined with the Senate’s opioids legislation, known as the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), to be ultimately sent to the president’s desk sometime this summer.

The two bills approved by voice vote earlier on Tuesday came from Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) and Frank Guinta (R-N.H.).

The bill from Bilirakis pushes the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand safety programs for patients using painkillers. The other, from Guinta, calls for a government study into “Good Samaritan” laws, which offer legal protection to people who seek medical attention for others who have overdosed on illegal drugs, even if they are used the same drugs themselves.

What’s the best way to pay down a credit card fast, pay the least interest & maintain your credit? Read More

The Obama administration has not said whether it would support the package.

Democrats from both chambers have criticized the lack of new funding in the bills, though GOP leaders have said they are looking for more funding during this year’s annual appropriations process.

Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said Tuesday his committee is “very interested” in securing more funding.

“There’s a parallel effort underway in the Appropriations Committee [to find the funding,]” Cole told the House Rules Committee on Tuesday. “Since it’s led by Chairman Rogers, it’s very likely to succeed.”

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Free APP and website to keep up with Congress and contact Congress

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

holding-megaphone-shouting-15725818gagged

 

Which best describes you in how/when you contact your members of Congress.. new app/website allows you to simple contact and vote FOR/AGAINST a particular bill.  Unless your member of Congress hears from you.. they don’t have any idea of where you stand on a particular bill. Of course… if you DO NOTHING.. you will GET NOTHING…

https://www.countable.us/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id893853823

Countable – Contact Congress and Vote on Bills

By Countable Corp

View More by This Developer

Open iTunes to buy and download apps.

Description

**Featured on MSNBC, the Today Show, The NYTimes, Wired, Politico and the iTunes App Store

Countable makes learning about what your government is up to easy and fun. Learn about issues you care about, influence Congress with one tap voting, and rally your friends around specific legislation.

SEND VIDEO MESSAGES TO YOUR REPS
– Use the camera on your iPhone/iPad to record video messages
– Send them to your elected reps and break through the noise
– Tell your story in your own voice and be heard!

MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND
– Daily notifications about upcoming votes
– Short non-partisan summaries of legislation
– Unbiased arguments for and against

HOLD YOUR REPS ACCOUNTABLE
– See how your votes align with your lawmakers
– Post an opinion or vote and we’ll inform your lawmakers
– Don’t be surprised if you receive a message back

COMMUNITY
– See what other people are saying about the issues you care about
– Upvote their opinions and show your support
– Post principled arguments and help change people’s minds

——-
Accolades:
– “Slick, easy to use and could definitely help inform your opinions.” – New York Times
– “Telling your senator how to vote is as easy and ‘liking’ a Facebook picture.” -Tech Crunch

What our users say:
– “Fast, easy way to interact with Congress.”
– “Makes it easy to stay informed with D.C. and ultimately let’s my voice be heard.”
– “An easy way to keep track of bills in congress and give feedback to my senators and representatives!”

We love feedback! Email us at support@countable.com
Follow us at @Countable, facebook.com/countable.us, and plus.google.com/+CountableUs/posts

About Countable:
Countable was created by a team of dedicated Americans based in San Francisco and Washington DC. We believe that using technology properly we can make American democracy work in a fashion similar to what our founders envisioned. Our advisory team includes former Senator Evan Bayh, Joe Trippi, who ran Howard Dean’s revolutionary presidential campaign in 2004.

…More

Countable Corp Web SiteCountable – Contact Congress and Vote on Bills Support

What’s New in Version 2.6

– For the first time ever you can send a video message to your elected representatives using the camera on your iPhone/iPad
– Plus some nifty performance enhancements and bug fixes

Screenshots

iPhone iPad
iPhone Screenshot 1
iPhone Screenshot 2
iPhone Screenshot 3
iPhone Screenshot 4
iPhone Screenshot 5

Customer Reviews

Good app but….
     

It’s a good app. A nice change needs to be made to make this app more productive and efficient for the purpose it was intended. One, get a flag button on here and take action when used. This is not a place for liberals to be nasty and personally bash republicans and use such vulgar language. We are to post opinions in an adult like manner to get insight on why you think a decision is yea or nay. Funny how I didn’t hear these libbies complaining when their dem congress did nothing for 6 years. So yeah, let’s do that and maybe make this app a more productive place.

…More

Video messaging lawmakers?! Game changed!
     

This app gets better and better. This new video messaging function is bonkers. A total game changer. I feel like being able to send a video to my Congressmember and Senator allows me to put tone and emotion into my messages to them that I never could do by writing text.

Love discovering new issues that I find out I actually get passionate about, after Countable exposes me to them. Must have app.

…More

Great New App
     

Countable makes new feel up to date on the latest legislation news. I also like the public profiles that they make to keep me up to date with all these candidates. The search feature makes it easy to find things and now I can send video messages to my representatives.

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AG Loretta Lynch speaks out again being against DISCRIMINATION

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve


White House issues ‘guidance’ on transgender bathrooms – video

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2016/may/13/white-house-transgender-rights-bathrooms-obama-video

This is the second time this week  

AG Lynch and DOJ defending discrimination in a discriminating manner ?

that AG Loretta Lynch has come out publicly stating that NO ONE should be discriminated against.  EXCEPT her focus on discrimination seems to be very discriminatory. It would seem that she is continuing the practices of her predecessor (Holder).. who also left office while still being held in contempt of Congress .. apparently without any consequences. Since Lynch is a DEMOCRAT…if our next President is a DEMOCRAT… chances are that she will remain as Attorney General and the chronic pain community could have to deal with being discriminated against for up to the next EIGHT YEARS… That doesn’t mean that other than a DEMOCRAT being the next President that things will/will not change. Could the ENEMY that we know will be worse than the ENEMY that we don’t know ?

Administration will send decree saying all students must have access to facilities consistent with their gender identity, even if others object

The Obama administration will order all US public schools to allow transgender students to access restrooms that match their identities in a move that escalates the national fight over LGBT rights that has erupted in response to North Carolina’s controversial “bathroom bill”.

The Justice Department and department of education will send the decree, a copy of which was obtained by the Guardian, on Friday. It offers guidelines to school districts across the country on how to protect transgender students from discrimination.

The letter, which was first reported by the New York Times, “does not add requirements to applicable law”, but provides extensive guidelines on how to ensure that trans students are treated fairly and have access to appropriate facilities.

Although the notice is not a direct legal threat and echoes previous comments from the White House, the letter makes clear that schools have legal obligations to protect trans students and that they risk federal funding if they do not comply.

The letter reads: “A school may provide separate facilities on the basis of sex, but must allow transgender students access to such facilities consistent with their gender identity.

“A school may not require transgender students to use facilities inconsistent with their gender identity or to use individual-user facilities when other students are not required to do so.”

The notice also makes clear that trangender students must have access to facilities “even in circumstances in which other students, parents or community members raise objections or concerns”.

It continues: “As is consistently recognized in civil rights cases, the desire to accommodate others’ discomfort cannot justify a policy that singles out and disadvantages a particular class of students.”

A lengthy document attached to the letter also provides “examples of policies and emerging practices for supporting transgender students”, and offers guidelines on privacy, confidentiality, anti-bullying and other issues affecting LGBT students.

“There is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against transgender students on the basis of their sex,” US attorney general Loretta Lynch said in a statement.

“This guidance gives administrators, teachers and parents the tools they need to protect transgender students from peer harassment and to identify and address unjust school policies.”

The announcement comes in the same week the justice department and North Carolina moved forward with a high-profile legal battle over the state’s bathroom law. Lynch has said the law amounts to “state-sponsored discrimination” and has caused transgender people to suffer “emotional harm, mental anguish, distress, humiliation and indignity”.

The law, HB2, effectively forces trans people to use restrooms that correspond to the sex assigned to them at birth, which critics say is unenforceable and a clear violation of the US Civil Rights Act. It also blocks cities from passing local anti-discrimination laws aimed at protecting LGBT people.

Pat McCrory, Republican governor of North Carolina, has defended the law as a privacy measure, accusing the federal government of a “baseless and blatant overreach” of its power. The state risks losing as much as as much $4.8bn in government funding by refusing to repeal the law.

The fight over trans rights extends beyond North Carolina. A federal appeals court in Virginia also recently ruled that barring a transgender boy from using the boys’ bathroom was a civil rights violation, and school officials in Chicago and Oregon have recently outlined protections for trans students.

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When the “bullied” TURNS on the “bullies”

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

Helena Doctor Files a Suit Against Board of Medical Examiners

www.ktvh.com/2016/05/helena-doctor-files-a-suit-against-board-of-medical-examiners/

(HELENA) A Helena doctor has filed suit against the state Board of Medical Examiners over the suspension of his license to practice medicine.

Dr. Mark Ibsen’s license was suspended in March 2015 by the state for improperly treating patients on pain medications. Now Ibsen is asking a district judge to overturn the board’s ruling.

Ibsen is asking District Judge James Reynolds for a Judicial Review of his case.

Ibsen says the board made numerous mistakes, misstatements of the record and other procedural and substantial errors that prejudiced his rights.

Ibsen’s lawyer says the board injected non-evidence into the case and ignored other evidence.

Ibsen also accuses the board of ignoring the recommendations of their hearing officer made in a draft order.

In response, the Board of Medical Examiners denies Ibsen’s allegations saying, Ibsen doesn’t specifically identify how his rights were violated.

As for ignoring the recommendations of their hearing officer, the board says some of the conclusions made by the officer were drawn from ill-founded findings of fact and were incorrect.

A hearing in the matter has been scheduled for June 10th.

 

 

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What can they really do to me ?

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

steamearsThere is at least one good thing about entitlements.. like Medicare… unlike private health insurance… they can’t raise your premiums at will.. nor decide that they are not going to insure you anymore.

Our Part D provider (PDP) is part of one of the major chain pharmacies – name with THREE LETTERS whose corporate motto is “where health is EVERYTHING”

Earlier this week, I entered in our pharmacy website three refills for Barb. Rather quickly I get THREE TEXT… one saying one of the Rxs are ready and one saying that one was two days early and one was four days early… all three of these Rxs were filled abt the same time 30 days ago..

So to make sure that I did not “go after” the wrong entity, I called the PDP and asked if they had rejected the Rxs or the pharmacy did.. come to find out..the PDP had declined authorization.

I asked the PDP representative what was their parameters for “early refills”… SEVEN DAYS… I did not have the specific last date they were filled and both were LESS THAN SEVEN DAYS EARLY… the representative stated that those two were CONTROLLED MEDS and that those meds had a TWO DAY early parameter.

So I pulled out the “DISCRIMINATION CARD”… and the reps response was “that is the law”… so I requested a copy of “the law” and or the FED statue number so that I could look up “THE LAW”…  phone line went VERY QUIET ..  long story.. short.. could not produce anything..

I pointed out that one of the medications was so INEXPENSIVE that the PDP paid NOTHING… my charge/co-pay was the TOTAL COST OF THE RX…  The rep’s explanation was that the discounted from normal cash price was WHAT THEY PAID..

Everyone and their brother ( HHS, CMS, PBM, Medicare, Medicaid, Insurance companies) are doing everything that they can to encourage people being compliant with their medication.. saves the system money.. but they don’t have any problem with me having to make THREE TRIPS to the pharmacy to help keep my wife compliant with her medication..  Long story … short… I got no where with them..

So I pickup the phone and called www.cms.gov (800-medicare) and filed a complaint that their policies were DISCOURAGING compliance.. the CMS has a STAR RATING SYSTEM.. that enough complaints… the monies that PDP, pharmacies, prescribers can get their rating dinged which means that the amount that they get paid – across the board – will get dinged as their Star Rating declines..

CMS does not deal with ADA violation/discrimination … but.. referred me to OIG/HHS (office inspector general/health & human services 800-447-8477).. so if filed a complaint that because this PDP is having different refill policies on certain classes of medication.. mostly taken by people who are disabled.

My complaint included that a TWO DAY early refill does not give any latitude to Mother Nature throwing a area a “curve ball”.. not to mention that when those who are disabled are having one or more a “bad days”… do you really want them out on the road attempting to drive to the pharmacy to pick up their meds.. or would you rather have them just being non-compliant with their medications and suffer the consequences of not having their meds… not  to ignore the fact that they might end up hospitalized along with the cost of a ride in an expensive ambulance.

Like I stated before.. what can the PDP do to me… they can’t drop me.. they can’t raise my premiums – rates are published and determined by state.. If CMS/HHS has guidelines/goals to promote healthy Medicare folks.. and the entities are not following/adhering to those guidelines… then unless they receive complaints about how those health care providers are failing those guidelines..  how can you expect the bureaucrats to take action.  If these bureaucrats fail to take action against those who are failing those guidelines.. then I will take my issues to my Representative & Senators… to point out how they are providing money/budgets for agencies that are not using those funds wisely..

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