I am so overwhelmingly sick and tired of the bad people or things in life taking much higher precedent than the good. Medicinal marijuana, for example. It would seem focusing on providing a medication to help relieve symptoms in ill patients would be the objective. But it is not. Instead mounds of efforts are spent on preventing those without a prescription or valid medical need from obtaining it. Much more effort than is spent facilitating the patient's legal right to access the medication, which was the intention of the law in the first place. Now it is indeed important to regulate this system, but by no way the reason which caused the voters in sixteen states, plus D.C., to pass this controversial law. The voters passed it because enough of them believed in a patient's right to access medication which could help them tremendously. Not to broaden the government's efforts, or give them a new angle to crack down on the war on drugs. Rationally the patient's needs come first, the crack down on illegal activity second. But that is not the way it is.
Another trend near and dear to my reality is the preposterous treatment of patients on narcotic pain medications. Now they are no joke, addictive and hard on the body. There is a well documented prescription medication addiction in the USA. People young and old, from all socioeconomic levels and every race, religion and creed. Nobody is immune from addiction. But not every person who takes them is an addict. Because they have a valid medical need. Millions of patients take the medication to relieve pain so they can recover from surgery or injury. And as soon as they no longer need it, they stop. There are also chronic pain patients who need these types of medications to manage pain so they can live life. Work to support their family, raise their children, take care of their parents. I was one of them at one time and simply would not have survived without them. But once I got to the point I could, I stopped. Gladly.
But what I see now is blatant bullying. Pain clinics are known to rip new patients off narcotics cold turkey. Folks are required to sign a consent form stating they agree to a drug test at every appointment. Or if prescribed are required to drug test to evaluate the amount in the system, searching for abuse or potential sale of the medications if the drug test comes back clean. It's like a police state out there! Doctors are under heavy scrutiny from the government and reluctant to prescribe them in the first place, leaving a person who can barely function in excruciating agony. Patients are admitted into the hospital and prescribed inadequate amounts of pain medication because the prejudice regarding their daily use causes the prescribing doctor to withhold therapeutic doses. I was one of those too. So once again the needs of the patient come in far second to the need to regulate addiction. How on earth does any of this make sense? When did we allow our needs to become so low on the totem pole? Oh, I forgot, we are sick and in pain and lacking the resources to stand up and fight. I don't have an answer or pretty little bow to tie up this blog. I am pissed fighting criminals is SO much more important than the needs of patients. It is not fair, does not make any sense and quite frankly, is the biggest crime being committed in this ugly little triangle between the government, prescribers and patients.
Thanks for joining,
Leah
