I worked in law enforcement for the State of California for 30 years. The last 15 years of my career were spent dealing with the opiate crisis. Substance addiction is indiscriminate. The crisis was created with by legitimate pharmaceutical companies, which have been replaced by drug cartels.
For years, heroin was the opiate of choice among intravenous drug users. Fentanyl was known as pharmaceutical heroin because of it’s purity and potency. IFor years was difficult to obtain Fentanyl outside of a hospital. The opiate pharmaceutical companies introduced OxyContin.Oxycodone, and Hydrocodone for pain management.
Baxter Pharmaceuticals promoted the distribution of OxyContin as a relatively safe medication for pain management resulting in widespread use of opiates. OxyContin was supposed to have a time release that would prevent the immediate release of opiate that causes the euphoria that heroin produces .
Unfortunately , drug users discovered the time release for OxyContin was just an outer covering on the pills that could be easily removed. OxyContin was preferred by drug addicts over heroin before it’s widespread use, and abuse was discovered.
An addict didn’t need a “drug connection” to obtain opiates. Physicians were prescribing the medications, and it only cost a patient a *”$10.00” deductible for an office visit, and “$5.00” deductible for a 30 day supply of the medication.
*The deductibles wearied according to a persons medical insurance plan or medical coverage.
The opiate crisis was created by the Pharmaceutical Companies (“Big Pharma”). By the time the opiate crisis was recognized, pain management physicians were prescribing Fentanyl. Prior to being used for pain management, Fentanyl was used as a general anesthetic because of its fast onset and its short half-life.
The FDA and American Medical Association, which approved the use of opiates for pain management were forced to recognize the opiate crisis that they enabled. The use of Fentanyl as a pain management opiate created a monster. Fentanyl is much more potent than heroin, and is produced synthetically. All that is needed is the pharmaceutical formulation, and precursor.
It is widely believed the pharmaceutical formulation for Fentanyl was provided to the Mexican Cartels by someone with pharmaceutical training and expertise from China. It is known the precursors are imported from China.
I tried to provide a brief summary of the contributing factors to the opiate crisis that has stolen our friends, and family. I don’t believe prisons are not the answer to this crisis. Education, treatment, and long-term support are our best weapon to save lives.
This is a real shame, however there is a downside to this epidemic that either no one talks about, or the powers that be have not even considered. As a retired ICU nurse, we use fentanyl very frequently. As your article states fentanyl is a preferred drug in situations where we want to get patients off ventilators quickly. Morphine sticks around longer in the body. The dosages that are used are in micrograms. A vial contains 50 mics of fentanyl. We either IV push 25 or 50 mics for pain control.
There are also patches that deliver the same dosages over 24 hours per week. Fentanyl patches were also used extensively in veterinary clinics for pain control of animals sent home after surgery. This is important. The governments have all taken a knee jerk reaction to combatting illicit fentanyl. In Canada, for example, fentanyl patches can ONLY be prescribed to end stage cancer patients, and even for this use, doctors find themselves buried in a mire of red tape. Vetrinarians face the same situation and no longer can use a fentanyl patch.
An example of the absurdity of these new "controls" is that someone with a non-operable spinal injury (I'm referring to myself now) was prescribed a month worth of 25 microgram fentanyl patches for $32 CND per month. It was affordable and allowed me to function. Then came the crack down. The replacement drug ... buprenophine patches at a cost of $480 CND per month. Someone needs to give their head a shake.
I worked in law enforcement for the State of California for 30 years. The last 15 years of my career were spent dealing with the opiate crisis. Substance addiction is indiscriminate. The crisis was created with by legitimate pharmaceutical companies, which have been replaced by drug cartels.
For years, heroin was the opiate of choice among intravenous drug users. Fentanyl was known as pharmaceutical heroin because of it’s purity and potency. IFor years was difficult to obtain Fentanyl outside of a hospital. The opiate pharmaceutical companies introduced OxyContin.Oxycodone, and Hydrocodone for pain management.
Baxter Pharmaceuticals promoted the distribution of OxyContin as a relatively safe medication for pain management resulting in widespread use of opiates. OxyContin was supposed to have a time release that would prevent the immediate release of opiate that causes the euphoria that heroin produces .
Unfortunately , drug users discovered the time release for OxyContin was just an outer covering on the pills that could be easily removed. OxyContin was preferred by drug addicts over heroin before it’s widespread use, and abuse was discovered.
An addict didn’t need a “drug connection” to obtain opiates. Physicians were prescribing the medications, and it only cost a patient a *”$10.00” deductible for an office visit, and “$5.00” deductible for a 30 day supply of the medication.
*The deductibles wearied according to a persons medical insurance plan or medical coverage.
The opiate crisis was created by the Pharmaceutical Companies (“Big Pharma”). By the time the opiate crisis was recognized, pain management physicians were prescribing Fentanyl. Prior to being used for pain management, Fentanyl was used as a general anesthetic because of its fast onset and its short half-life.
The FDA and American Medical Association, which approved the use of opiates for pain management were forced to recognize the opiate crisis that they enabled. The use of Fentanyl as a pain management opiate created a monster. Fentanyl is much more potent than heroin, and is produced synthetically. All that is needed is the pharmaceutical formulation, and precursor.
It is widely believed the pharmaceutical formulation for Fentanyl was provided to the Mexican Cartels by someone with pharmaceutical training and expertise from China. It is known the precursors are imported from China.
I tried to provide a brief summary of the contributing factors to the opiate crisis that has stolen our friends, and family. I don’t believe prisons are not the answer to this crisis. Education, treatment, and long-term support are our best weapon to save lives.
This is a real shame, however there is a downside to this epidemic that either no one talks about, or the powers that be have not even considered. As a retired ICU nurse, we use fentanyl very frequently. As your article states fentanyl is a preferred drug in situations where we want to get patients off ventilators quickly. Morphine sticks around longer in the body. The dosages that are used are in micrograms. A vial contains 50 mics of fentanyl. We either IV push 25 or 50 mics for pain control.
There are also patches that deliver the same dosages over 24 hours per week. Fentanyl patches were also used extensively in veterinary clinics for pain control of animals sent home after surgery. This is important. The governments have all taken a knee jerk reaction to combatting illicit fentanyl. In Canada, for example, fentanyl patches can ONLY be prescribed to end stage cancer patients, and even for this use, doctors find themselves buried in a mire of red tape. Vetrinarians face the same situation and no longer can use a fentanyl patch.
An example of the absurdity of these new "controls" is that someone with a non-operable spinal injury (I'm referring to myself now) was prescribed a month worth of 25 microgram fentanyl patches for $32 CND per month. It was affordable and allowed me to function. Then came the crack down. The replacement drug ... buprenophine patches at a cost of $480 CND per month. Someone needs to give their head a shake.