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Medicare enables drug abuse by seniors; Courtesy of the sissy American syndrome
Topic Started: Jun 27 2016, 12:58 AM (234 Views)
Pat
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I have noticed over the years that Americans are sissy's in so many ways, pain being a big one. "Of doctor, please give me something for my pain!!!" Pain is not evil or bad, but this coddled population of takers expects perfection in health and life. Another sign of a dissolving republic.




http://www.blacklistednews.com/1_in_3_Americans_on_Medicare_Use_Commonly_Abused_Opioid_Painkillers/52191/0/38/38/Y/M.html

1 IN 3 AMERICANS ON MEDICARE USE COMMONLY ABUSED OPIOID PAINKILLERS
Published: June 26, 2016


Nearly 12 million Medicare beneficiaries received at least one prescription for an opioid painkiller last year at a cost of $4.1 billion, according to a federal report (pdf) that shows how common the addictive drugs are in many older Americans' medicine cabinets.

With an overdose epidemic worsening, nearly one-third of Medicare beneficiaries received at least one prescription for commonly abused opioids such as OxyContin and fentanyl in 2015. Those who did received an average of five such prescriptions or refills, according to the report from the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"We are concerned about the high spending and the number of people receiving opioids," said Miriam Anderson, who led the study, which was released Wednesday. "This raises concerns about abuse. This is a serious problem facing our country."

Among all ages, there were nearly 19,000 fatal overdoses on prescription opioids in 2014, which was the most on record and the last year for which that data set was available.

The magnitude of opioid use among seniors is "astounding," said Frederic Blow, who directs addiction research at the University of Michigan's medical school and was not involved in the study.

"It's not just a young person's problem," Blow said. Overdose risk for older Americans is heightened by medication interactions and alcohol. Addiction is also a risk and doctors should help patients consider alternatives for chronic pain, such as meditation, yoga, walking and weight loss, which allow patients to minimize opioid use.

The leading opioids taken by Medicare patients were OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, fentanyl or their generic equivalents, Anderson said. "In fact, there were about 40 million prescriptions for these drugs last year," she said. "That's enough to give one to every Medicare beneficiary in the country."

In February testimony on opioid use among seniors to Congress, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Deputy Administrator Sean Cavanaugh said the agency "is aware of potential fraud at the prescriber and pharmacy levels through 'pill mill' schemes."

Medicare is reviewing the report closely, spokesman Aaron Albright said. The agency has had a monitoring system since 2013 that provides quarterly reports to Part D plan sponsors on high-risk beneficiaries who may be overusing commonly abused drugs. The system flagged 15,651 beneficiaries last year as potential problem drug users. In 2017, the federal government will bar payment for prescriptions written by doctors who are not enrolled in Medicare.

"Medicare Part D spending on opioids, in general, is decreasing as a percent of total Part D spending, from 3.2 percent in 2014 to 3.0 percent in 2015," Albright said. The agency "takes seriously our responsibility to ensure that beneficiaries have access to the drugs they need with appropriate safeguards to prevent abuse."
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Berton
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There are almost as many people killed from opioid drug overdose as are killed by people with guns yet nothing is said about it.

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Stoned
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Crap! This is the result of big pharma given total license to advertise at will. lI see more ads for prescription drugs on tv than for anything else.

People believe the crap and they go to their doctors asking for these drugs. If one doctor does not give it to them the will go to another. They have no idea if this drug will help them or not. It is often a case of piling one drug on top of another until no one knows what is working or perhaps the patient dies.

All hail market driven health care!

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jackd
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...and doctors openly accepting highly profitable kick backs from PharmaCos for writing non-necessary prescriptions after prescriptions..
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jackd
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...and doctors openly accepting highly profitable kick backs from PharmaCos for writing non-necessary prescriptions after prescriptions..
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Neutral
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My primary care doctor refused to prescribe opiates.
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Berton
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The fact is progressives do not want to talk about getting the death rate from over dose of drugs under control just like they don't want to talk about radical Islam.

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Thumper
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The libs grew up on drugs. Drugs are good. Far our man.
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Pat
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Berton
Jun 27 2016, 07:06 AM
The fact is progressives do not want to talk about getting the death rate from over dose of drugs under control just like they don't want to talk about radical Islam.

I disagree.

This is a universal problem, not a progressive one. People need to toughen up and deal with the pain.
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Neutral
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When one has surgery they need pain relief in many cases.
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