Hogan Announces New Measures To Address Opioid Addiction

[newsBot]

This just in from the somd.com Headline News:

Title: Hogan Announces New Measures To Address Opioid Addiction

Date: 01-25-2017 10:59 AM

Summary: Gov. Larry Hogan and Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford announced Tuesday they are rolling out new legislation that would counter Maryland's growing opioid addiction crisis.

Click here for the full story...

 

[mAlice]

The stupidity just never ends. They really need to stop with the "addiction" line, and address the "abuse". There are a lot of things that our bodies get addicted to. The only thing the government has accomplished is making it more difficult for people who need the medication to actually get it. If you are prescribed an opiate, and you take it as prescribed, you are no less addicted than if you took half the bottle when you got home. Our bodies become accustomed to certain things, and we form a physical addiction. Just ask anyone who has done a low carb diet. The issue is not that a person is addicted. The issue is, are you taking the medication as prescribed, or are you abusing it, or selling it on the street. GA is much stricter than MD with how they prescribe opiates, and I swear, I can see the pain on peoples faces around here. People are hobbling around in excruciating pain because they can't get pain medication. It's really sad. And you know what? It's only going to get worse.

 

[Kev_Russell]

The stupidity just never ends. They really need to stop with the "addiction" line, and address the "abuse". There are a lot of things that our bodies get addicted to. The only thing the government has accomplished is making it more difficult for people who need the medication to actually get it. If you are prescribed an opiate, and you take it as prescribed, you are no less addicted than if you took half the bottle when you got home. Our bodies become accustomed to certain things, and we form a physical addiction. Just ask anyone who has done a low carb diet. The issue is not that a person is addicted. The issue is, are you taking the medication as prescribed, or are you abusing it, or selling it on the street. GA is much stricter than MD with how they prescribe opiates, and I swear, I can see the pain on peoples faces around here. People are hobbling around in excruciating pain because they can't get pain medication. It's really sad. And you know what? It's only going to get worse.

There is nothing in this law that I grokked which would make it more difficult for people legitimately living in chronic pain to get their required medication. Perhaps it might be different elsewhere, I don't know. But I don't get that from this law.

 

[mAlice]

There is nothing in this law that I grokked which would make it more difficult for people legitimately living in chronic pain to get their required medication. Perhaps it might be different elsewhere, I don't know. But I don't get that from this law.

Oh, look. I new troll.

You obviously do not take pain medication, and you have no idea how difficult it already is.

 

[Kev_Russell]

Oh, look. I new troll.

You obviously do not take pain medication, and you have no idea how difficult it already is.

You seem friendly.

No I don't take pain medication, and no I don't know how difficult it already is.

What I was wondering is how this law makes it more difficult, which was your intimation. While I haven't read the text of the law, there's nothing I've seen in the reporting that demonstrates how it will be more difficult. That's not trolling, that's asking a question.

If you can answer it, please do. If not, that's fine too.

 

[Lurk]

There is nothing in this law that I grokked which would make it more difficult for people legitimately living in chronic pain to get their required medication. Perhaps it might be different elsewhere, I don't know. But I don't get that from this law.

You seem friendly.

No I don't take pain medication, and no I don't know how difficult it already is.

What I was wondering is how this law makes it more difficult, which was your intimation. While I haven't read the text of the law, there's nothing I've seen in the reporting that demonstrates how it will be more difficult. That's not trolling, that's asking a question.

If you can answer it, please do. If not, that's fine too.

Your "grokker" appears to be defective. First it didn't grok you when you read the law then it didn't grok you when you didn't read the law. Better get that fixed.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Of course, there's the argument that the government has created barriers for doctors to prescribe opiate painkillers. Those barriers have arguably pushed those in pain, or those addicted to those painkillers (that are chemically not much different than heroin) to move away from those painkillers to heroin.

 

[littlelady]

Your "grokker" appears to be defective. First it didn't grok you when you read the law then it didn't grok you when you didn't read the law. Better get that fixed.

It seems the newbie, Kev, doesn't know what he is up against. Actin' all smart, and all! He did not know when he came here that Dr. Lurk was lurking.

 

[Kev_Russell]

So neither of you are able to articulate how these rules will make it more difficult for those living with chronic pain and a legitimate need for opioid-based pain killers to obtain them??

If you can, please do.

 

[PsyOps]

What is "seven days worth of opioid painkillers"? The government is going to decide for someone that is in pain how many pills they can take in a day? Does this even take into account people with chronic pain from severe injuries or ailments? If I suffered from whiplash (which I have), you mean to tell me Hogan gets to decide how much pain I'm in and define my level of need for pain meds?

Addiction and abuse can be addressed in better ways than having the government come in and dictate our medical to us. Doctors are already terrified to prescribe pain medication as it is. Folks complain about government overreach... this is it.

 

[PsyOps]

So neither of you are able to articulate how these rules will make it more difficult for those living with chronic pain and a legitimate need for opioid-based pain killers to obtain them??

If you can, please do.

Tell me... how many pills is sevens days worth?

 

[Kev_Russell]

Tell me... how many pills is sevens days worth?

The seven day restriction only applies to the initial visit with the prescribing physician:

"The Prescriber Limits Act would prevent doctors from prescribing more than seven days worth of opioid painkillers during a patient's first visit or consultation."

If the dose is a pill every 8 hours, for example, that's 3 pills a day times 7 for 21 pills prescribed on the initial visit.

What exactly is the point of your question?

 

[PsyOps]

The seven day restriction only applies to the initial visit with the prescribing physician:

"The Prescriber Limits Act would prevent doctors from prescribing more than seven days worth of opioid painkillers during a patient's first visit or consultation."

If the dose is a pill every 8 hours, for example, that's 3 pills a day times 7 for 21 pills prescribed on the initial visit.

What exactly is the point of your question?

I've received percocet for moderate pain following surgery with the label saying to take every 6-8 hours. I have no clue what someone with major chronic pain is going through, so it would be impossible for me to dictate what their needs would be. So, Hogan seems to have a one-size-fits-all mentality towards pain, even if it is in the first week. I don't need the government to get between me and my doctor. This sort of intrusion only lead to more of it.

Not to mention, Hogan propped himself up as a small government conservative aimed at getting MD spending under control. This move will create a whole new agency, costing us $4 million in new spending. As a conservative who voted for Hogan, this is unacceptable to me.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

I've received percocet for moderate pain following surgery with the label saying to take every 6-8 hours. I have no clue what someone with major chronic pain is going through, so it would be impossible for me to dictate what their needs would be. So, Hogan seems to have a one-size-fits-all mentality towards pain, even if it is in the first week. I don't need the government to get between me and my doctor. This sort of intrusion only lead to more of it.

Not to mention, Hogan propped himself up as a small government conservative aimed at getting MD spending under control. This move will create a whole new agency, costing us $4 million in new spending. As a conservative who voted for Hogan, this is unacceptable to me.

But it shouldn't be a surprise considering the campaign he ran on being tougher on drugs.

I think we'll see more of this across the country. War on drugs and all.

 

[PsyOps]

But it shouldn't be a surprise considering the campaign he ran on being tougher on drugs.

I think we'll see more of this across the country. War on drugs and all.

Just like gun control... it will only end up targeting law-abiding people.

 

[Kev_Russell]

I've received percocet for moderate pain following surgery with the label saying to take every 6-8 hours. I have no clue what someone with major chronic pain is going through, so it would be impossible for me to dictate what their needs would be. So, Hogan seems to have a one-size-fits-all mentality towards pain, even if it is in the first week. I don't need the government to get between me and my doctor. This sort of intrusion only lead to more of it.

Not to mention, Hogan propped himself up as a small government conservative aimed at getting MD spending under control. This move will create a whole new agency, costing us $4 million in new spending. As a conservative who voted for Hogan, this is unacceptable to me.

You're tilting at windmills since there is absolutely nothing here to suggest the government will "come between you and your doctor". Nothing.

Your prescription to take a pill every 6-8 hours? Over 7 days that works out to either 21 or 28 pills. If your pain/ailment requires 10 pills a day, according to you doctor, then that will net you 70 pills on your initial visit. Nothing here suggests otherwise.

If you voted for Hogan, then you are getting precisely what you voted for. This was a central plank in his campaign. Not happy with that outcome? Whoops, your mistake. Try again in a couple of years.

 

[littlelady]

So neither of you are able to articulate how these rules will make it more difficult for those living with chronic pain and a legitimate need for opioid-based pain killers to obtain them??

If you can, please do.

Neither of you, who?

 

[PsyOps]

You're tilting at windmills since there is absolutely nothing here to suggest the government will "come between you and your doctor". Nothing.

Your prescription to take a pill every 6-8 hours? Over 7 days that works out to either 21 or 28 pills. If your pain/ailment requires 10 pills a day, according to you doctor, then that will net you 70 pills on your initial visit. Nothing here suggests otherwise.

If you voted for Hogan, then you are getting precisely what you voted for. This was a central plank in his campaign. Not happy with that outcome? Whoops, your mistake. Try again in a couple of years.

Well, that just mucks up what 7 days worth means. It can be any number that the doctor determines. So, why the law to begin with if the doctor makes the determination of how many pills per week? I want to know more about what is meant by '7 days worth'.

You seem to miss the point anyway. The attitude is 'you still have your second amendment rights. As long as you can buy a gun, your rights are intact'. Well, that's a failed argument since my right is not LIMITED by government. The constitution limits government's authority to limit my rights. I have a right to privacy and the government is limited by the constitution to infringe on that right until due process has occurred. If I have committed no crime, the government cannot come in and dictate what occurs between my doctor and me. These laws do just that. And, when we just ignorantly accept it, it only leads to more intrusion.

I am a law-abiding person who doesn't need the government trying to protect me from myself. Go after the abusers; I'm all for that. I'm not an abuser, therefore leave me the hell alone.

 

[PsyOps]

So neither of you are able to articulate how these rules will make it more difficult for those living with chronic pain and a legitimate need for opioid-based pain killers to obtain them??

If you can, please do.

And you've failed to justify why we need this law. It's simply just a 'I'm the government and I'm going to protect you from yourself' law.

 

[Kev_Russell]

Well, that just mucks up what 7 days worth means. It can be any number that the doctor determines. So, why the law to begin with if the doctor makes the determination of how many pills per week? I want to know more about what is meant by '7 days worth'.

The particular provision of the law in question here only applies to the initial visit. There's no mucking up of what 7 days worth means; that is still up to your doctor. No privacy rights are violated here.

This provision is designed to go after the abusers - the pill addicts who go from doctor to doctor to doctor all before 12 noon ginning up pain maladies and getting all manner of pills which they either abuse themselves or turn out on the streets for a profit. Wash, rinse, repeat.

I'm not really sure what the 2nd Amendment has to do with any of this.

It's amazing how people demand the government get tough on drugs and then get all frothy when they actually do it.