[sirI]

The number of Americans using pain medications has risen dramatically, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. In fact, the DEA says prescription pain medication use has climbed an astounding 88 percent between 1997 and 2005.

Across the nine-year span nearly 200,000 pounds of prescription pain medication has been purchased across America's pharmacies, the Drug Enforcement agency said. Most of the medication sold was the prescription pain medication: codeine, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and meperidine.

Oxycodone, the chemical used in OxyContin, is responsible for...

Read article in its entirety:

http://www.axcessnews.com/index.php/.../show/id/12064

[NurseyBaby'05]

Physicians are also at fault in prescribing pain medications to older Americans as a means of managing pain associated with illness when pre-1980s, doctors would instead tell older patients that pain symptoms were just part of the natural process of aging.

Pain medicine use on the rise in the US


More Americans using painkillers than ever before

By Staff
(AXcess News) Miami

That qoute is from the end of the article. Pain symptoms are a natural part of the aging process?! What a crock! So is HTN, so is DM, so is A-Fib. We shouldn't medicate for them either by that logic. Just because people are old does not mean their pain should go untreated. That really ****** me off!

[SmilingBluEyes]

Maybe, just maybe, people were UNDER treated for pain, for far too long, esp the elderly.

[fluffwad]

I just sent a comment to that site asking them if they were totally unaware of the National Pain Control Initiative.

[azhiker96]

Good comments. I thought better pain control was a JCAHO initiative as well. If we are pushing more pain meds then somebody had better be using them.

[rehab nurse]

Siri, there is another thread just like this one, with a similar story about the subject. I don't know how to find it, but I replied to it twice already. Does anyone know how to find the link and maybe merge the threads??? Thanks.

[rn/writer]

Older patients have historically been under-medicated. Chronically-ill patients have been historically under-medicated. Because it is a subjective entity, pain is often not taken seriously or treated appropriately.

Yes, the opiates are, by their very nature, prone to being diverted and misused. Preventive and punitive measures need to be taken on that end rather than depriving patients of solid and dependable pain relief.

[bethin]

Originally Posted by rn/writer

Older patients have historically been under-medicated. Chronically-ill patients have been historically under-medicated. Because it is a subjective entity, pain is often not taken seriously or treated appropriately.

Yes, the opiates are, by their very nature, prone to being diverted and misused. Preventive and punitive measures need to be taken on that end rather than depriving patients of solid and dependable pain relief.

I agree, I just couldn't make it sound as good as you did.

I am one of those chronically ill patients. For years I was in pain and no one believed that Crohn's could cause pain. I changed MD's and my present PCP believes in pain and thus medicates me well enough that I have little pain (which I can handle) but not too much that I can't function. My own GI specialist is aghast that my PCP prescribes vicodin for me. She says he shouldn't do that. Obviously she does not have this disease.

For years dr's were afraid to prescribe pain meds because they were afraid of addiction. I now know that you cannot become addicted if you take the pain medication when and only when you have pain. When you start using it outside of that is when you have problems.

Also, where I work there are signs in every pts room that state "you have the right to be free of pain, talk to your dr or nurse if you are having pain". You would think everyone who saw that sign would fake pain and then talk to the dr about it. The opposite is true. I think the general public is still skittish about narcotics. Children don't want their dying parents receiving narcotics because they will become addicted. Obviously, we (well, nurses do as I'm an aide) need to educate the public.

With the growing number of baby boomers I'm not surprised at the number. Why should the elderly suffer in pain when others before them sucked it up? People are living longer than ever and with that will come some aches and pains.

I don't want my post to sound as if I think vicodin should be handed out to everyone who has ever had a twinge of pain. That's not true. I know I tried yoga, meditation, etc before I took narcotics. Others should look at alternative medicine also.

[stupidclass]

oooooooooooo

[stupidclass]

I have worked for a Pain Mgt doctor for over seven years, I have seen patients under treated, over treated, and some that are down right drug seeking! Sure, there are a lot of bad seeds out there, but Pain Managment is needed! It helps to maintain quality of life for both older and younger patients! Its amazing that pain mgt is new and not seeked out from PCP's. Medicine is about quality of life, so why has it taken us so long to address one of the most common problems today? PAIN! I dont get it!