Chemical Dependency of Prescription Drugs Examined by Medical Professionals
The Mayo Clinic Proceedings recently published a series of articles and editorials on chemical dependency and recovery in patents and physicians. The Science Daily recently published a release on these proceedings as prescription chemical addiction and dependency is a growing problem.
Steven Passik, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York noted that the addiction to and abuse of prescription opioid drugs are prevalent, extracting an immense toll on patients, physicians and society.
Used by humans for thousands of years, opioid drugs are the longest continuously used class of medications. The drugs work by binding to specific receptors, particularly in the nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. The patient experiences a decreased perception of pain and reaction to pain, while also increasing their tolerance to pain.
Any time an opioid is used on a continuous basis, physical dependence can and will develop. This leads to problematic withdrawal when the drug is abruptly discontinued. Abuse is the result of dependence coupled with the feeling of euphoria that these drugs can produce.
The growing interest in opioids is attributable to five sources: advances in the design of the drugs; expansion and innovation in drug delivery methods; increased public awareness of the options in pain management and pain relief as a fundamental human right; growing recognition of the serious consequences of opioid misuse and addiction; and the liabilities associated with prescribing practices.
Howard Smith, M.D., Department of Anesthesiology, Albany Medical College, N.Y noted that roughly 10 to 20 percent of physicians will develop a substance abuse problem during their career. This rate is similar to or exceeds the general population. Anesthesiologists have the greatest risk of opioid dependence and abuse, considered to be a hazard of the profession.
