NEW YORK 8/8/2010 6:20:00 PM
Need for drug rehab to decrease with tighter regulations
Tighter narcotic prescription regulations hope to decrease need for drug rehab
In a move to curtail prescription drug abuse, Washington State is considering legislation that would require physicians to refer chronic narcotic pain medication users to a physician who specializes in pain management.
The need for this legislation stems from over-prescribing narcotics and under-monitoring their effectiveness on patients with such ailments as chronic lower back pain or arthritis. Proponents of the legislation have noted that terminally ill or cancer patients would not be affected and physicians would be able to prescribe pain medications as needed for end-of-life comfort measures.
“Prescription drug abuse is growing at an unprecedented rate today,” begins a spokesperson for Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center. “Not only is this creating an increased need for effective drug rehab, but it’s creating an epidemic of fatalities from drug overdose. It’s evident that there are some individuals who truly are dependent on narcotic pain medications to function in their daily lives and those who oppose this legislation fear those in need would be denied those medications. That’s not the case at all- in fact, referral to a pain management specialist could actually give chronic pain sufferers a better quality of life as the source of their pain can better be addressed and monitored by a specialist. In addition, it’s highly likely that a more effective, long-term solution can be offered to those individuals instead of the temporary, short-acting benefits that narcotic pain medications provide.”
It’s estimated that in the past year, narcotic pain killers accounted for 7 percent of total prescribed drugs and the number of individuals taking them increased by over a third compared to previous years. Increased use of long-acting opioids such as OxyContin and methadone have contributed greatly to the epidemic of death by prescription overdose, second only to car accidents in nationwide fatalities.
Mountainside’s original, unique approach to drug rehab began 12 years ago. Since then, drug rehabs worldwide have adopted these same treatment modalities in an effort to give clients an optimum chance for sustained recovery.
The compassionate, caring treatment team at Mountainside < ahref="http://www.mountainside.com/ title="drug rehab">Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center is comprised of licensed and certified counselors and social workers as well as an on-staff Nurse Practitioner and a Registered Nurse, both of whom have specializations and extensive experience in drug addiction and alcohol treatment. For clients who may present with a dual diagnosis, Mountainside provides care through a Psychiatrist who is also on-staff.
The program along with the cohesive addiction treatment team, earned national recognition and was invited to Washington by the White House Drug Czar, John P. Waters for an in-depth meeting on what makes their program so successful. These accolades did not go unnoticed within the addiction treatment field and caused even more drug rehabs worldwide to opt for a more holistic approach to drug addiction treatment.
If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, or if you have any questions, please contact Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center for a confidential inquiry at 800-762-5433.
