{"id":1172,"date":"2012-12-01T00:00:05","date_gmt":"2012-12-01T05:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/?p=1172"},"modified":"2014-02-24T16:23:41","modified_gmt":"2014-02-24T21:23:41","slug":"giving-second-chance-prescription-drug-abuse-epidemic-long-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/giving-second-chance-prescription-drug-abuse-epidemic-long-island\/","title":{"rendered":"Giving a Second Chance: The Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic on Long Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: Maria Sorbera, PharmD Candidate c\/o 2013 at AMSCOP (LIU)<\/span><\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

Author William S. Burroughs states in his novel, \u201cThe question is frequently asked: Why does a man become a drug addict?\u00a0 The answer is that he usually does not intend to become an addict. You don\u2019t wake up one morning and decide to be a drug addict.\u201d1<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0 Addiction does not form over night; it consists of a timeline of events that cannot be reversed.\u00a0 Creating a tight grasp, an addiction makes it extremely difficult for an individual to find freedom.\u00a0 A quick snap of the fingers cannot reverse months or years of abuse.\u00a0 Unfortunately, this country is in the midst of a prescription drug abuse crisis leaving many people wishing that they can simply \u201csnap their fingers\u201d and be lifted from rock bottom.\u00a0 Although the battle against prescription drug abuse presents a difficult road ahead, it has opened numerous doors for healthcare professionals.\u00a0 Medical teams can aid in this crisis by taking a stand.\u00a0 Such positions have already been made by New York in this growing crisis with the Naloxone Pilot Program in Suffolk County and the passing of the Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing Act, I-STOP.<\/p>\n

Here are the statics: in 2008, there were a reported 36,000 deaths from drug overdoses in the United States.\u00a0 Since 1990, the death rate from drug abuse has more than tripled.\u00a0 Hospital admissions from drug abuse have increased by 60% from 2007 to 2010.In addition, admissions due to oxycodone have exponentially increased by a frightening 160%.\u00a0 It is clear that prescription drug abuse is rapidly spreading with New York directly feeling many of the effects.2<\/sup>\u00a0 Both Nassau and Suffolk County have been experiencing increases in opioid hospital admissions.\u00a0 The majority of deaths due to prescription opioids are caused by oxycodone.\u00a0 From 2008 to 2010, oxycodone prescriptions have increased by 42% in Nassau County and 23% in Suffolk County.3<\/sup>\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to remain blind to the situation.\u00a0 Recent news reports are filled with overdoses, pharmacy robberies, and physician misconduct. A recent instance was with Dr. William Conway in Baldwin who was charged with illegally distributing medication that resulted in patient harm and\/or death.\u00a0 The severity of this ongoing crisis reveals the need for continued interventions such as the expansion of the Narcan Pilot Program.<\/p>\n

Recently, Suffolk County has initiated the Narcan Pilot Program.\u00a0 Through this program more than 300 police officers have been trained regarding the use of intranasal Narcan, a drug that can be used to treat \u00a0overdoses.\u00a0 Positive outcomes have already been displayed as the drug has been administered three times since August 1st<\/sup> in what would have been three potentially fatal overdoses4<\/sup>.\u00a0 With the increase in opioid abuse, it is completely reasonable and valid for police officers and EMS workers to carry this life-saving emergency medication.\u00a0 Deaths resulting from overdoses usually occur within 1 to 3 hours of ingestion.\u00a0 The time frame between when the patient overdoses to the arrival of EMS greatly varies with each situation.\u00a0 More often than none, opioid overdoses are in the presence of others.5<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0 This raises the question, if people are present why is it that 911 calls are sometimes delayed?\u00a0 Unfortunately, the presence of others does not always mean that a 911 call will happen immediately.<\/p>\n

In many cases, individuals who are present during an overdose try to revive the person themselves using techniques such as emerging the person in a cold bath or injecting them with stimulants.\u00a0 Being that the individuals present might be drug users as well, it is common for them to become frightened of the legal implications once 911 is called.\u00a0 Even with the Good Samaritan Law passed in 2011, which gives the individual who overdosed and the individual who calls 911 legal amnesty, some are still hesitant to seek medical help.5<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0 Due to the various ineffective interventions by peers, medical care can be greatly delayed.\u00a0 This delay needs to be minimized. In an overdose, the longer one waits before an antidote or measures is taken to rid the drug of the body, the more likely the person is to lose his or her life. The need for police officers and EMS to have the Narcan Emergency Kit is essential in overdose situations; however, can this benefit expand even further if users themselves had access to the emergency kit?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Currently, the state of New York has Naloxone Distribution Programs which allow users and non-users to obtain naloxone with a valid prescription and proper training regarding the use of the drug.\u00a0 Some people might argue this is promoting drug abuse.\u00a0 Yes, it very well might be; however, what type of message does the distribution of condoms or Plan B send out to the public?\u00a0 Or the ability for people to obtain syringes due to the public health concerns about users sharing needles?\u00a0 Are they not promoting behavior that some people might also argue unethical?\u00a0 There is a fine line between life and death during an overdose and no value can be placed on an individual\u2019s life.\u00a0 Granted there are still several concerns with allowing the distribution of naloxone: such as people having misconceptions that medical attention is not required once the drug is administered and another concern that with administration of naloxone, more opioids can now be ingested safely.\u00a0 With proper training these concerns can be significantly minimized.<\/p>\n

Intranasal naloxone has an onset of action of 8 to 13 minutes and a relatively short half-life.\u00a0 Once the drug wears off, the individual can have recurrent respiratory depression.\u00a0 Medical attention is absolutely necessary during an overdose regardless if naloxone is administered.\u00a0 During training, this is a crucial concept that must be instilled in the individuals.\u00a0 Other concerns consist of users possibly readministrating more opioids.\u00a0 Currently, there are no documented cases in which narcan distribution programs have had problems with the readministration of opioids following naloxone administration.5<\/sup>\u00a0 It is absolutely necessity that healthcare professionals counsel patients and assess their understanding of the drug in order to avoid any negative consequences from distributing naloxone.<\/p>\n

Prescription drug abuse has been casting a shadow over America for years causing deaths, broken families, and economic hardships.\u00a0 It is an issue that must be faced head on and presents a time for health care professionals to take a stand on saving lives.\u00a0 Providing comprehensive counseling and training if needed are key ways that health care professionals can become involved.\u00a0 On Long Island, there have been steps made to combat this crisis in order to save lives.\u00a0 The three lives saved this past summer since the initiation of the Narcan Pilot Program in Suffolk County are not just three lives, they are individuals with families and friends who are forever thankful to those police officers.\u00a0 The distribution of naloxone is a way to prevent overdose victims from crossing that fine line between life and death, and hopefully seeing it as a wake-up call.\u00a0 Take a stand and give patients their lives back. Everybody deserves a second chance.<\/p>\n

SOURCES:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Burroughs WS. Junky. New York: Penguin Books; 1977.<\/li>\n
  2. Centers for Disease Control. Policy Impact: Prescription Painkiller Overdoses.\u00a0 December 19th, 2011.\u00a0 Available at: http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/homeandrecreationalsafety\/rxbrief\/.<\/a> Accessed October 20th,2012.<\/li>\n
  3. New York State Office of Attorney General. Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing (I-Stop): A Proposal Addressing New York\u2019s Prescription Drug Abuse and Drug Diversion Epidemic. 2011. Available at:http:\/\/www.ag.ny.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/press-releases\/2012\/ISTOP%20REPORT%20FINAL%201.10.12.pdf.<\/a> Accessed on October 20th, 2012.<\/li>\n
  4. Newsday: Suffolk officer saves life through Narcan pilot program. August 2nd, 2012. Available at: http:\/\/www.news12.com\/archive\/articleDetail.jsp?articleId=329227&position=1&news_type=news.<\/a> Accessed October 20th, 2012.<\/li>\n
  5. Kim D, Irwin KS, Khoshnood K. Expanded Access to Naloxone: Options for Critical Response to the Epidemic of Opioid Overdose Mortality.\u00a0 Am J Public Health;March 2009: 99(3).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By: Maria Sorbera, PharmD Candidate c\/o 2013 at AMSCOP (LIU) – Author William S. Burroughs states in his novel, \u201cThe question is frequently asked: Why does a man become a drug addict?\u00a0 The answer is that he usually does not intend to become an addict. You don\u2019t wake up one morning and decide to be…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5,8],"tags":[1822,343,98,2243,707,1160,102,564,15,13,2227,1609,129,314,20,1611,14,207,646,100,363,968,1625,1543,19,11,42,1736,1752,1679,453,623,1061],"class_list":["post-1172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured","category-news-politics","category-advice-opinions","tag-against","tag-and","tag-august","tag-cdc","tag-cold","tag-control","tag-december","tag-delayed","tag-disease","tag-drug","tag-ebola-virus-disease","tag-emergency","tag-epidemic","tag-for","tag-health","tag-kit","tag-medication","tag-minutes","tag-naloxone","tag-october","tag-of","tag-one","tag-or","tag-oxycodone","tag-patient","tag-pharmacy","tag-public","tag-respiratory","tag-rid","tag-short","tag-system","tag-type","tag-with"],"views":726,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1172\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhochistj.org\/RhoChiPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}