Meth seizers, addicted babies rising

http://seattle.suntimes.com/sea-news/7/79/169619/meth-addicted-babies-rising

Apparently the cartels are pretty sophisticated… and like any smart business organization.. when demand is up … you increase production.. and like any retail establishment… you can expect a certain per-cent “shrinkage” of inventory.. and just think… Congress created this black market with the Harrison Narcotic Act and now they are  successfully busy trying to deal with the black market they created… kind of reminds you a a Rube Goldberg apparatus https://www.rubegoldberg.com or at least the closest anyone has come to creating a perpetual motion machine

Federal agents have seized more methamphetamine than they have in at least 12 years, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Northwest field office said.

The increase in meth seizures accompanies an increase in babies born with meth addiction, according to King5.com.

The Pediatric Interim Care Center in Kent is treating seven babies with meth addiction.“I was stunned,” said Barb Drennen, the center’s executive director.

Last year, they treated 48 meth babies, compared to 23 babies in 2013 and 13 babies in 2012.

Agents have seized approximately 400 pounds of methamphetamine so far this year. The year before they only got their hands on 388 pounds.

The meth which enters Western Washington is produced and smuggled in by Mexican drug cartels, according to Doug James, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Seattle office.

Cartels have used U.S. law enforcement’s cracked down on domestic meth labs to push their own product. Nearly a decade ago, people used to make meth in kitchens and garages with chemicals from the hardware store.

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Woman says stranger impersonated her, took her prescription at pharmacy

It’s something most of us have done at some point in time: went to the pharmacy and picked up a prescription. But a viewer reached out to us saying when she went to pick up her prescriptions at Rite Aid — they weren’t there.

She was told someone else had already picked them up. All they needed to know to get those prescriptions was the woman’s name and birth date. Now she’s reaching out to us for help.

There were really two things we wanted to hear Rite Aid respond to. First, whether it’s Rite Aid policy to just ask for a name and date of birth when giving out a prescription. Second, if that is the case whether they think that’s secure enough.

Tashawada Heard has MRSA and she relies on her prescriptions to get her through each day.

“If you can tell by these lesions on my arms and lesions on my face,” says Heard. “I definitely need the medicine because the pain is horrendous.”

But when she went to pick up her medications at the Portland Avenue Rite Aid Thursday, she says a worker at the pharmacy told her that her prescriptions had already been picked up.

“I said ‘there is no one authorized to pick up my prescriptions,'” Heard told News10NBC. “She said, ‘oh well, all they have to do is know your first and last name and date of birth.”

Heard was shocked. She says she has no idea who picked up that prescription. Since the prescription was already picked up she tells us her insurance company wouldn’t pay for Rite Aid to give out a second dosage. That’s when she called us.

“There could be thousands of people who have went to the pharmacy, filled up prescriptions, and someone else came and picked up their medicine and don’t even know that their identity is compromised now,” says Heard.

We went to bat for Heard by calling Rite Aid. They did get back to us a little later in the form of a statement. However, they didn’t answer the questions we posed earlier. The statement said, “We take these matters very seriously. As soon as we became aware, we immediately began investigating and we are in the process of reaching out to the customer.”

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Congresswoman calls for hearing on prescription access problem

Cancer and hospice patients denied medication

http://www.wesh.com/news/congresswoman-calls-for-hearing-on-prescription-access-problem/34606298

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. —In a matter of days, the Florida Board of Pharmacy will meet to address the issue of pain medication being denied to patients in need, and already one lawmaker is speaking out.

U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown said she will call for a congressional hearing to investigate the problem.

After meeting with senior citizens, Brown spoke with WESH 2 News to talk about the prescription access problem.

“It is just not acceptable the way this is working. It was not our intent,” Brown said.

Brown said she’s heard from at least 100 constituents, including cancer and hospice patients, who have been denied access to legitimate pain medications. She said she has met with pharmacists and other lawmakers, who have also expressed their frustrations.

WESH 2 News asked: “What about a congressional hearing on this issue?”

“That’s next, because many members have indicated they have had the same problem,” Brown said.

Like the attorney general and the governor, Brown blames the Drug Enforcement Administration for the crisis. In April, she said, “The root of the problem seems to lie with overzealous or excessive crackdowns,” adding, “DEA officials have excessively censured doctors and pharmacists and limited the flow of prescription drugs to such a degree that patients are not able to access prescriptions.”

She said she’s been trying to organize a community meeting with the DEA and other stakeholders, since July of last year.

“Has the DEA been receptive to that idea?” WESH 2 News asked.

“They have not to this point. No, they have not. It hasn’t happened,” Brown replied.

Brown said she plans on holding that meeting with or without the DEA.

“I’m going to have it in August whether we have some empty chairs there or not,” she said.

The congresswoman will also meet with Attorney General Pam Bondi in the coming weeks to discuss the current problem and the unintended consequences to the pill mill crackdown.

Brown credits Bondi for working to fix the current prescription access problem. Meanwhile, the DEA, which has been facing mounting criticism, will be addressing the issue publicly at Monday’s Board of Pharmacy meeting in Deerfield Beach.      WESH 2 News will be there. 

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Report: VA at fault for veteran’s overdose death at Tomah

http://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/report-va-at-fault-for-veteran-s-overdose-death-at-tomah-1.362033

WASHINGTON — An inspector general’s report faults a Wisconsin Veterans Affairs hospital for the accidental overdose death of a Marine Corps veteran that sparked outrage and legislation aimed at strengthening guidelines for prescribing painkillers.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General found that Jason Simcakoski’s death at a Tomah, Wis., VA center in August 2014 was tied to a toxic mix of prescribed drugs and also faulted VA staff for botching resuscitation efforts once he was found. The Tomah VA has been dubbed “Candyland” for what some say was wanton overprescription of opiates.

Simcakoski, 35, served in the Marines from 1998-2002 and suffered a head injury. He sought care for anxiety attacks at the Tomah VA, where his family said he struggled for years with no improvement despite a long list of medications. He was found unresponsive Aug. 30, and the report found that the two psychiatrists who prescribed drugs to Simcakoski did not talk to him or his family about risks associated with the drugs.

The report also criticized hospital staff for a chaotic resuscitation response and failing to have the proper drugs on hand to counteract Simcakoski’s overdose.

In response to the report, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., who requested the investigation, released a statement saying “the sacred trust we have with those who faithfully serve our country has been broken and it needs to be fixed.”

“This report confirms that the Tomah VA physicians entrusted with Jason’s care failed to keep their promise to a Wisconsin Marine and his family,” Baldwin said in a released statement. “I have all the evidence I need to conclude that the VA prescribed Jason a deadly mix of drugs that led to his death and that those responsible for this tragic failure should never again serve our veterans and their families.”

The Tomah VA said in a statement that it’s saddened by Simcakoski’s “avoidable” death and is committed to learning from it and improving care for veterans, according to the Associated Press.

Earlier in the year, the oft-criticized VA Office of Inspector General had defended closing an earlier investigation into alleged overprescription of opiates at the Tomah VA without finding problems in a tersely worded press release that began with this John Adams quote: “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”

Some lawmakers jumped on that report at the time to criticize then-acting VA Inspector General Richard Griffin for what they perceived as his failure to point out problems within the scandal-plagued VA. Griffin resigned under pressure in June.

On Friday, the Inspector General’s office defended the earlier Tomah report.

The IG’s report notes that one of the drugs that likely contributed to Simcakoski’s death was buprenorphine, an opioid derivative, and that he had struggled with opioid dependency in the past.

The report on Simcakoski’s death recommends local VA officials determine whether anyone should be punished and that the facility director review their medical emergency procedures.

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Hospice patients among latest denied prescription painkillers

http://www.wesh.com/news/hospice-patients-among-latest-denied-prescription-painkillers/34587018

MAITLAND, Fla. —Hospice patients are among the latest being denied prescription painkillers. It’s medication they need to spend their final days comfortably without pain.

Local pharmacist Linda Lizuka is being begged for help, but is unable to fill the need. She said she became a pharmacist so she could help people, but these days she’s seeing hospice and cancer patients being denied medicine to make their lives manageable.

“They’re being told ‘I don’t have it, I can’t get it, I can’t order it,’ or ‘I’m saving it for my regular patients.’ These are cancer patients,” said Lizuka, who owns the Hometown Old Country Pharmacy in Winter Park and is with the Florida Pharmacy Association.

She doesn’t dispense to the general public, but has taken on dozens of private patients who can’t get their legitimate medications filled elsewhere. She said she is currently filling pain prescriptions for 20 cancer patients and 25-30 hospice patients in Central Florida.

“I’ve even had two doctors contact me personally and ask me if I could please help their patients out,” Lizuka said.

Top video: Survivor recalls devastation in Hiroshima

Lizuka works with VITAS, which offers hospice care and palliative services for patients who are dying. But according to Lizuka, hospice patients have become yet another unintended consequence in the pill mill crackdown. She said she gets at least two to three calls per week from VITAS nurses.

“Every day I get a new VITAS nurse calling me, saying, ‘Can you fill for this patient? They can’t find what they’re looking for. I think it’s a sad situation and we’re all in the health care profession and we’re caught between the proverbial rock and the hard place,” Lizuka explained.

All of this is expected to come up at the next Board of Pharmacy meeting on Monday in Deerfield Beach. WESH 2 News will be there.

WESH 2 News reached out to VITAS Healthcare to see how widespread the problem is for patients, but the hospice provider declined to comment on our story.

If you’re facing a prescription problem, email us at Investigates@WESH.com. We want to bring your story to state and federal officials.

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I wrote a complaint to BOP.  I got a response that “though the behavior is unacceptable”, “there is no law requiring that a pharmacist fill a prescription should he/choose not to do so.”   There has been a lot of publicity the that last few weeks about other patients being denied pain medication by pharmacies such as the 4 y.o. cancer patient post surgery and today hospice and cancer patients. Some pharmacist are helping the patients, others are not.  I wish I could attend the upcoming meeting, however, I am still recovering.  If I need pain meds in the future I may have to move to another country. Hopefully, DEA, BOP and GAO start taking the issue seriously.

This short note showed up in my inbox.. Of course, it is from FLORIDA…  I am trying to get my hands on the letter itself… but.. it would appear that the FL BOP… has no problem with unacceptable behavior by the Pharmacists licensed in Florida… I would what other unacceptable behaviors by Pharmacists that they would find unacceptable but chose not to ignore but call them before the BOP for UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT ?

The primary charge of all the Boards of Pharmacy is to protect the health and safety of the general public… I guess that it all depends on what the BOP considers health & safety… apparently denial of care, pt abuse, causing pts to intentionally be in elevated pain and/or intentionally being thrown into withdrawal…. is not part of protecting the health and safety of the general public.

I am sure that it gives everyone the “warm fuzzies” in how the FL BOP is watching out for everyone’s health and safety..

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NSAIDs, Opioids Found Similar for Chronic Pain Risk After Vehicular Accidents

http://www.painmedicinenews.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ses=ogst&d=Clinical+Pain+Medicine&d_id=82&i=August+2015&i_id=1211&a_id=33228

According this doctor and her colleagues CHRONIC MODERATE PAIN starts at “3” on the pain scale.. how many prescribers are happy with leaving pain pts with a “5” or higher on the pain scale and refusing to attempt to lower their pain any further ? So are they leaving pts in severe pain ?

There are no significant differences between giving nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids to patients in the emergency department (ED) with regard to their risk for developing chronic pain after motor vehicle accidents, a new study suggests.

Individuals presenting to EDs after vehicular accidents have a high risk for developing chronic pain from the physical and emotional trauma they experience, according to researchers from Alpert Medical School of Brown University, in Providence, R.I. The team of emergency physicians and pain specialists sought to assess whether prescriptions for opioid analgesics versus NSAIDs received on discharge affected these patients’ risk for chronic pain.

“These patients are at very high risk for development of chronic pain, likely due to the mechanics of their injury and the emotional stress involved,” said study author Francesca L. Beaudoin, MD, MS, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Alpert Medical School and Rhode Island Hospital/Miriam Hospital, also in Providence. “Some studies say that as many as 40% of patients following motor vehicle crashes will develop either persistent pain or chronic pain. Given that, there’s probably a lot more we can do in the ED to prevent onset of chronic pain.”

Dr. Beaudoin and her colleagues evaluated the effect of medication treatment for moderate or severe musculoskeletal pain (defined as a numeric rating scale score >3) at the time of ED discharge in patients six weeks after a motor vehicle accident. There were 948 adults who presented to the ED following a crash. The team was able to obtain data from 859 patients. They found that 49% of patients receiving NSAID prescriptions and 56% of patients receiving opioid prescriptions reported moderate or severe musculoskeletal pain.

The team used propensity score matched analysis to compare the odds of moderate or severe musculoskeletal pain at follow-up among patients discharged with prescriptions for opioid analgesics alone (n=198) and prescriptions for NSAIDs alone (n=338). The researchers found that there was no significant difference in moderate or severe musculoskeletal pain between the treatment groups.

“As emergency physicians, we want to know that what we’re giving people as they leave the ED has a positive effect on outcomes, and obviously that’s within the context of the ongoing debate regarding appropriate use of opioids,” Dr. Beaudoin said. “So we want to know if we are appropriately prescribing opioids, but also if whatever we are giving works.”

The findings of this study add to the growing amount of research that could be interpreted as questioning current opioid prescribing patterns. Dr. Beaudoin told Pain Medicine News that about 33% of motor vehicle crash victims in her ED receive prescriptions for opioids (alone or in combination with NSAIDs). She added that there currently seemed to be no standard approach for pain prescribing in these patients, and that “best practice” guidelines may be needed.

Lynn Webster, MD, a pain specialist and medical director of CRI Lifetree, and past president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, agreed, noting that the study, as presented, had too many limitations for it to play any role in guiding future treatment decisions.

“It shouldn’t influence what is prescribed,” said Dr. Webster, a Pain Medicine News editorial advisory board member, who was not involved in the study. “Certainly, opioids should not be prescribed to anyone in whom an NSAID would be sufficient and safe. I don’t see how this study changes that paradigm.”

This study is supported by a grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. It is part of a larger research project on chronic pain following motor vehicle accidents being performed by the same team. The findings were presented at the American Pain Society’s 2015 annual meeting (abstract 412).

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