Opioid Concerns

Addiction is a major issue. There are really two components to addiction.

1. Medical addiction
Medical addiction is a medical phenomenon. Many drugs cannot be abruptly stopped after prolonged usage without running the risk of negative side effects. Examples of these drugs include certain anti high blood pressure medication, anti-seizure medications, baclofen, steroids and even Afrin. Treating the problems associated with stopping these medications is a medical issue. In like manner, treating the problems associated with stopping narcotics is a medical issue.

2. Psychological addiction
A distinct problem is psychological addiction. We believe that about 20% of the patients we see in a practice like ours have some problem with controlled substances. If we are to ensure that patients who need medications for a legitimate medical purpose are to have access to these medications, then we need to be diligent in ensuring that we do not provide medications which are abused or diverted.