Efforts to help
Efforts to help the problem include stricter regulation of pharmaceutical companies and the studies that they conduct, banning direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising, reforming the way doctors prescribe these drugs, and heroin maintenance programs. Each of these efforts addresses a different area of the problem and that’s exactly what needs to be done. There is no one solution to this problem, it will take a combined effort from pharmaceutical companies, politicians, and doctors to address this problem completely.
Pharmaceutical companies aren’t regulated enough and have too much freedom when it comes to marketing. Drugs are treated like consumer products by pharmaceutical companies and that should not be the case, especially with powerful drugs that have the potential to kill and ruin lives. It’s clear that these companies already try to market to doctors by encouraging them that they aren’t addictive or claiming unfit usage of the drug. But the bigger problem is that they’re allowed to market to normal everyday people, also called Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising. Sixty five percent of physicians in a survey believed that DTC ads confuse patients about the relative risks and benefits of prescription drugs. By taking away the pharmaceutical company’s ability to advertise to normal people it would greatly reduce the number of people that may potentially go to the doctor or ask about these drugs.
Another solution proposed by Dr. Jeannemarie Perrone recommends that doctors follow national guidelines from the American Academy of Pain Management. These guidelines recommend that patients sign a usage contract, and submit to an annual toxicology screening test to confirm they are taking the medicine and not taking other drugs before the doctor issues a prescription. By screening patients and checking up on them doctors can provide proper patient care and determine if the patient is abusing the drugs prescribed to them or other drugs that they may be using.
Lastly, one unexpected solution to the problem is heroin maintenance programs, they create stability in addict’s lives and in doing so allows addicts to reintegrate into society because they no longer have to worrying about hustling in order to get their next fix. This approach has been used in Canada with a high level of success. Another plus to heroin maintenance programs is that the heroin they are receiving is medical grade which means it has none of the adulterants of the street drug, so users don’t need to worry about overdosing due to the varying potency in heroin. Now it may sound counterproductive to do this and it may even seem like it’s only furthering their addiction but it does two essential things. It prevents users from going out and committing crimes or stealing and lying to family or friends while also preventing overdoses.
Pharmaceutical companies aren’t regulated enough and have too much freedom when it comes to marketing. Drugs are treated like consumer products by pharmaceutical companies and that should not be the case, especially with powerful drugs that have the potential to kill and ruin lives. It’s clear that these companies already try to market to doctors by encouraging them that they aren’t addictive or claiming unfit usage of the drug. But the bigger problem is that they’re allowed to market to normal everyday people, also called Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising. Sixty five percent of physicians in a survey believed that DTC ads confuse patients about the relative risks and benefits of prescription drugs. By taking away the pharmaceutical company’s ability to advertise to normal people it would greatly reduce the number of people that may potentially go to the doctor or ask about these drugs.
Another solution proposed by Dr. Jeannemarie Perrone recommends that doctors follow national guidelines from the American Academy of Pain Management. These guidelines recommend that patients sign a usage contract, and submit to an annual toxicology screening test to confirm they are taking the medicine and not taking other drugs before the doctor issues a prescription. By screening patients and checking up on them doctors can provide proper patient care and determine if the patient is abusing the drugs prescribed to them or other drugs that they may be using.
Lastly, one unexpected solution to the problem is heroin maintenance programs, they create stability in addict’s lives and in doing so allows addicts to reintegrate into society because they no longer have to worrying about hustling in order to get their next fix. This approach has been used in Canada with a high level of success. Another plus to heroin maintenance programs is that the heroin they are receiving is medical grade which means it has none of the adulterants of the street drug, so users don’t need to worry about overdosing due to the varying potency in heroin. Now it may sound counterproductive to do this and it may even seem like it’s only furthering their addiction but it does two essential things. It prevents users from going out and committing crimes or stealing and lying to family or friends while also preventing overdoses.