|
Suggested Reading
Prescription
Drug Abuse
Synopsis:
Colvin was motivated to write this book when his brother died
after several years of abusing prescribed tranquilizers and sedatives.
He defines the problem, gives reasons for it, lists the most frequently
abused substances, and relates anecdotes describing unwitting addicts.
|
|
Doctors Still Waiting to Test Buprenorphine's Promise
While 616 physicians nationwide are now authorized to prescribe
buprenorphine, its widespread use is still an issue.
Product availability is the first problem. Despite receiving FDA approval
in October, the manufacturer did not ship the product to pharmaceutical
warehouses until last week.
A more important issue is low interest among primary care physicians.
Physicians who do treat addiction say lack of training, concern about
having an "unsavory clientele," and "taking on a complicated sideline that
doesn't pay well" may be reasons why some primary care physicians are not
interested.
Without them, there is little chance of treating opiate addiction as a
chronic illness. "We need to treat this much more as a health condition
and bring this to the general medical world, decreasing the stigma," said
Dr. Peter L. Beilenson, Baltimore health commissioner. But others are
confident that the drug will see widespread use once news of its promise
spreads.
A third barrier is a federal rule that limits physicians who prescribe
buprenorphine to 30 buprenorphine patients per practice. The rule was
designed to prevent buprenorphine "mills," but has stymied institutions
such as Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, which is legally considered a
single practice.
Dr. Eric Strain, whose research at Johns Hopkins helped get buprenorphine
approved, said he doesn't even know if he will get his license. When asked
to certify on his application that he would abide by the 30-patient rule,
he refused. "I wrote in the box that I cannot certify this," Strain said. "I'm curious
to see what happens."
|||
|
