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There will be Less Opioids in 2017

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Posted 10/5/2016 9:07 PM (GMT -6)
The DEA will decrease Schedule II active ingredients that it gives manufactures of opioids for 2017. This includes other info as well regarding the active ingredients for Schedule I and Schedule II drugs.

Established Aggregate Production Quotas for Schedule I and II Controlled Substances and Assessment of Annual Needs for the List I Chemicals Ephedrine, Pseudoephedrine, and Phenylpropanolamine for 2017-
/www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/10/05/2016-23988/established-aggregate-production-quotas-for-schedule-i-and-ii-controlled-substances-and-assessment
Posted 10/6/2016 1:49 AM (GMT -6)
HOPEFULLY, this won't have a big impact on legitimate patients receiving their pain medications because the DEA based their decision on a decreased need for the meds, as reported by medical practitioners...less are being prescribed so less are needed. Also, a large portion of the lowered quotas comes from the elimination of a 25% 'buffer' that had been included for the past few years. That buffer was to help prevent any shortages...but it was never even 'dipped into'...so eliminating that wouldn't affect anyone. The more articles I've read about this, the more hopeful I am that the nightmare of 2011/12 won't be revisited, as a result of the new quotas. Fingers crossed. Time will tell....
Posted 10/6/2016 3:37 PM (GMT -6)
Splashdancer, I hope it doesn't affect chronic pain patients either. I know what they said about the reduction and I know that doctors are writting fewer opiate prescription now than before. I am concerned that towards the end of 2017, a lot of chronic pain patients will not be able to get their prescriptions filled
Posted 10/6/2016 4:00 PM (GMT -6)
M&G, thanks so much for posting this. I am thinking the same thing as you are. This is nothing but a downward spiral I am afraid.

We get a little weekly paper here once a week from one of the burbs & the headline in big bold letters was patients being over prescribed opiates. Of course a rep from the DEA was there & a couple of police officers speaking to a high school. Quoted their convoluted stats on overdoses & the 300% rise in a 10 yr period. They interviewed some mother that proudly said she had surgery & so did her son & they took OTC meds for pain control refused pain meds. She must have had her hang nail trimmed.
Posted 10/7/2016 7:13 AM (GMT -6)
This is concerning bc it reminds me of what happened to my grandmother back in 1984. Riddled with a horribly painful bone marrow disease, she was denied morphine bc her disease was not considered to be cancer. A nurse at the hospital finally stood up against the policy, and fought to allow my grandmother to be given a morphine drip. My grandmother was a tough lady, but we could all see that she was in horrific pain. To those who state they can recover from surgery with OTCs; more power to them. I challenge them to take it one step further and simply forgo anesthesia.
The person who is posting this is deathly allergic to NSAIDS. The pendulum will swing back and forth regarding pain relief. I just wonder where it will be when I'm at the point where my grandmother was.
Posted 10/9/2016 4:04 AM (GMT -6)
I can not express the panic this gives me. I'm currently having a ton of back issues. My back surgery this yr in February failed, and I have more herniated discs causing unbearable pain. Add the tests I'm being put threw the idea of loosing what pain medication I get to just barely be able to stand this pain makes me want to scream,cry, and give up complete hope.

I won't survive if I'm forced to try to live on OCTs. I'm very lucky to have a dr that Truly cares and sees I have real pain but with this at some point she will have to cut me off. She has been frantically trying to get all my tests and surgeries etc done. I went to some kind of appointment 2 weeks straight except sundays. I see my surgeon the 24th in hopes he does everything I need n o w.

This is so unkind and morally wrong to forget we all have pain at some point. One day those ppl that work for the dea that set this up will have a illness and require meds, they won't be there because of thier doing.


Lovespink73

Post Edited (Lovespink) : 10/9/2016 4:10:17 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/9/2016 4:36 PM (GMT -6)
LP, I could not agree with you more. It is disgusting what is going on. We are being penalized because of nothing more than some moron can call the shots.

This whole situation has nothing to do with the war on drugs. Street drugs has been around for ions, they know that is a battle they will never win.
Posted 10/9/2016 9:24 PM (GMT -6)
I feel as though I am being punished because I have a body that is broken and failing.

I am on Palliative Care (care and comfort) and still must jump through approval hoops each month to receive my narcotic medications. I have osteonecrosis of both hips and jaw. It is no picnic.

But I wonder . . . . what is the end point? What is the end point to bone death of my hip joints? Will there come a time when a physician unilaterally decides that I am no longer worthy of receiving narcotics for pain relief?

I honestly think that I would sign-up for Hospice. I would loose any will-to-live that I have left in me.

Until someone actually experiences unrelenting, 24-7 pain they have no accurate basis to pass any judgment on what it is to try to create a meaningful life with constant pain as a constant companion.
- Karen -
Posted 10/10/2016 2:07 PM (GMT -6)
It's so frustrating.I'm in Pain Management and they've got me taking the weakest Pain Med that there is.

And I've basically given up expecting something different.

2 PMDs were shut down 3-4 months ago.Around 2,000 Patients were effected in a bad way.

There's not a whole lot more they can take from me.(shaking my head).

Take care y'all.

Rick
Posted 10/12/2016 2:17 PM (GMT -6)
There was a recent article on this site (http://www.painnewsnetwork.org/) that used the phrase "passive genocide" in reference to what is happening to chronic pain patients who need opioid medications. It sounds a bit hyperbolic, but I've actually come to think it is the right term.

Consider this scenario: what if everyone in the US was told that they can either buy two 6-packs of beer a month or two bottles of wine. Due to there being so many alcoholics, complications from alcohol abuse, deaths due to DUI drivers, etc... the government has decided that everyone needs to have their use of alcohol restricted.

Isn't that idea completely absurd?

I feel that is what is happening to chronic pain patients.
Posted 10/14/2016 6:42 PM (GMT -6)
my doc does not prescribe pain meds period. has signs. a lot of clinics now refer patients to pain management at the hospital as the doctors authority only goes so far here. (Australia) my doc, whom I am axing, because he don't get pain and is so old school. he had a go at me, and gave me 30 seconds last time. he is cruel. for pain management here a psych eval is required; if ya can smile, it aint that bad type scenario. I laugh the more I hurt. keep strong.
Posted 10/14/2016 7:27 PM (GMT -6)
Candy_Apple, a patient not haivng pain meds if they are in chronic pain is not going to kill them. If they chose to take their own life, that is their decision. I know that may sound cold, but it is medically accurate.
Posted 10/15/2016 5:06 AM (GMT -6)
We are a hypocritical society.

I walk into my pharmacy and see row after row of alcoholic beverages for purchase . . . wine, beer. Behind the counter, carton after carton of cigarettes for sale.

Where is the DEA or NIH cracking down on restricting the sale of alcohol due to deaths and injury due to excessive alcohol consumption?

Where is the DEA or NIH cracking down on restricting the sale of cigarettes due to death and injury due to excessive smoking?

The DEA and NIH will not crack down on either. Why? Because there is significant protective lobbying by powerful factions in Congress who benefit from government provisions that support tobacco farming and wine/beer/alcohol distillery. Our government subsidies these industries.

It is reprehensible that those with chronic pain are having to suffer. My only fault is having to live in a body that is broken. "All the kings horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again."

The article that CandyApple points to is a good one to read. The phrase "passive genocide" is a phrase coined by the authors of the article. It is not a phrase that CandyApple poises on her own.

I know that intractable pain has changed the very essence of who I am. My spirit to try continue on is waning. I am infuriated by the bureaucrats who are limiting my access to basic comfort. I would like to see any one of these bureaucrats live a day in my body space.

- Karen -
Posted 10/16/2016 3:20 PM (GMT -6)
I know, I am not American, however people power is where it is at. we do not sell alcohol or cigarettes in pharmacies, it's illegal. no branding on cigarettes or exposure of the product is allowed. unless you are an exempt tobacconist. all about the mighty dollar, this is the sad element. before I get told off, just look at how your incumbents are doing, and see if policy is really the key issue?

soz, bad head space. not good am I, should shut my gob, however I did not. no offence intended, just more frustration from what I have been seeing about the presidential campaigns. apologies.
Posted 10/17/2016 4:36 AM (GMT -6)
Hey Turtle.jmho,on this Forum there are no Borders.We're all in this together.

I welcome views and experiences from you and others here that deal with different regulations than I have to.

Take care .

Rick
Posted 10/17/2016 7:10 AM (GMT -6)
I still try and engage, but the flow pertains to the American side a bit, that's cool, and how it is- but thx for the acknowledgement rick. I guess I try to get views from other parts, however without knowing the gist I am up u know what creek and without a paddle on info. I will stick to the basics. meet and greet. I am up for that. when not grumpy, down, etc!!!
Posted 10/20/2016 1:55 PM (GMT -6)
I used the analogy of the US govt restricting everyone's use of alcohol to X number of ounces per month due to the abuse of alcohol by SOME, because that is essentially what is happening to chronic pain patients who need opioids.

Just because there are a bunch of people who get addicted and abuse meds doesn't mean that all of us do.

I count myself as a fortunate person who happens to have a doctor who will prescribe the opioids I need. I am also fortunate that I have been able to stay on a low dose for many years. I'd have more pain relief if I could go higher, but my body will not tolerate a higher dose, so I remain stuck at a low dose.

My doctor is older, and not going to be in practice forever, so I do have a lot of concern about what will happen when I have to find someone new.
Posted 10/21/2016 6:58 AM (GMT -6)
It was the pharmaceutical and the doctors who CAUSED the problem.

Doctors have CAUSED a lot of problems. They do not know what they are doing.

Would you believe it if it were on PBS that doctors got all kinds of perks including cruises to prescribe oxicontent (sp)?

The kids went into the medicine cabinets and tried these drugs thinking it must be okay because it was prescribed by a doctor.

Now we have a drug epidemic and the docs are MAKING MORE MONEY taking care of the kids.




Joan, I have gone in edited your post. I will refer you to rule number 3 here at Healing Well.

Post Edited By Moderator (straydog) : 10/21/2016 12:45:30 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/21/2016 1:16 PM (GMT -6)
Joan M, the pharmaceutical companies lied to the reps and the reps lied to the doctors. It was not the doctors fault they were given false information.

Children that took their parents prescription drug did not take them because they thought they were alright because a doctor prescribed them. They took the drugs because they wanted to get high. If a child or adult wants to get high, it does not matter where they get the drugs from.
Posted 10/21/2016 3:30 PM (GMT -6)
john it is all the people going to diff drs, with all kinds of lies and illness storys, to get drugs, to use and sell , for profit.
Posted 10/22/2016 10:38 AM (GMT -6)
M&G what you posted above is so true. What I am going to say in this post will fall inline with what you are saying about the pharmaceutical companies & its not just them but the FDA.

Back when everyone was taking Phen Phen for weight loss it was a miracle drug for anyone wanting to lose weight. The US was the very last country to remove it from the market even though people were dying from it. Other countries had long taken it off of the market. They chose to turn a blind eye.

The firm I worked at handled medical malpractice cases. We had several of those cases, some people died & some were left with debilitating health issues. We obtained copies of depositions from one of the very first cases that was filed. These were depositions of the pharmaceutical company people. Under oath they admitted the 2 used together could be deadly. You cannot believe some of the memos I read in those depos advising the head people we have a huge problem here. They thought all of those memos were destroyed, not all of them, lol. They chose to ignore their scientists & try to sweep it all under the rug because of the potential money they would make off of the drugs. And yes, the FDA was very much aware of all of this. It cost thousands & thousands of dollars to obtain the copies of these depositions but in the end it was more cost efficient to get those copies rather than deposing the morons again. They were caught in the act & there was no going back & recanting their story.

I read those depos for a good month & did an outline on each one for my boss. What an eye opener. It all came down to how much money they could make off of the two drugs. I could probably write a book from what I saw over the years. People just really have no idea of some of these things either. It is all powered by money by all parties.

I will get down off of my soap box otherwise I may have one of the longest posts in history here, lol.
Posted 10/23/2016 3:52 PM (GMT -6)
There is a superb piece of investigative journalism in today's digital edition of the Washington Post (October 22, 2016).

The story is titled: "Investigation: The DEA slowed enforcement while the opioid epidemic grew out of control." The authors are Lenny Bernstein and Scott Higama.

This is a carefully documented and detailed accounting of the political interference that goes toward explaining why opioid deaths grew exponentially in the 1990's and forward. The DEA slowed enforcement of wholesalers who were distributing opioids to corrupt pharmacies and pill mills due to lobbying efforts by large pharmaceutical companies who did not want the DEA to interfere in their profits.

The article is long and would have been easier to digest if presented as a series of articles. But the information discovery presented in the article is compelling and impressive.

I came away from the article with a profound sense of betrayal by the DEA, government bureaucrats, and political lobbyists. There was little to no concern of either the many individuals who have died as a result of opioid overdoses. There was little to concern of the many individuals who have chronic and unrelenting pain.

If you want to read a sound, eye-opening article on the opioid problem in this country look no further than this article. The article is excellent yet troubling in its investigative findings.

The article is available on the digital edition of the Washington Post, 22-October-2016. I do not know if the WaPO plans to publish the article as part of a paper print edition of the Washington Post.

I highly recommend the reading of this article.
- Karen -
Posted 10/24/2016 6:27 AM (GMT -6)
All this adoration of doctors is very sad. The average salary of these great ones is $200,000. They also get plenty of perks from the pharma industry.

Sad when people can't see what is obvious.
Posted 10/24/2016 8:10 AM (GMT -6)
The FDA's creeping tentacles keep engulfing more of the market, also. This year they put Tramadol, which is not an opioid, on Schedule II. Now I have to make a trip to my doctor every time I need a refill because she doesn't do refills by phone.

The next thing we know, they'll have Tylenol and Aspirin back on prescription. mad
Posted 10/24/2016 4:04 PM (GMT -6)
jujub, Tramadol is not a Schedule II. Tramadol is a Schedule IV. Your doctor can write a prescription and five refills and/or he can call refills in, if he wants to. But, he can also have you come in when you need a refill. It is the doctors choice.

Joan M , It costs an unbelievable amount over a period of years for a doctor to get the education he has to have to practice medicine. Once he is able to practice, he has continuing education he has to keep up with. There is the cost of the salary and benefits for his staff, equipment, maintenance on that equipment, office supplies, ensuring his empolyes are kept up to date and trained in medical records and other things they must deal with every day. There is the cost of rent, utilities, insurance and maintenance for the office. There are many other things, but these are just a few things.

If a doctor or other health professional receives money from a pharmaceutical company, it can be found at the link below.

Dollars for Docs-How Industry Dollars Reach Your Doctors-
https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/
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