Drug Abuse

It appears that segments of the medical community are trying to take their job back – deciding what is best for their patients.

For the past several years the idea of Physician diagnosis leading to correct treatment has gotten lost in the din of TV pharmaceutical commercials. 

Relegating a Physician’s role to “Ask your doctor if this drug is right for you” put big Pharma up front and left the Medical Doctor taking the orders and the patients as drug addicts.    

Legislative sessions have swarmed with lobbyists for the pharmaceutical companies while the Physicians, less trained in Public Relations have allowed their presence to diminish in the eyes of the community and the law makers.  

Physicians allowed further compromise of their position by accepting gifts from these same companies through frequent visits from their sales force.

While there is no doubt that doctors have been party to the eclipse of their own stature, things are changing.  Medical schools, hospitals and Physician groups have fanned the embers and a sense of ethics still burns as evidenced by recent editorials in their own journals and attempts to limit financial ties to pharmaceutical companies.

As Physicians take measures to limit the influence that the pharmaceutical sales forces have on their practice, we look forward to the day when we see the receptionist first at the doctor’s office – not the drug rep waiting in the lobby.

More than 15 million Americans abuse controlled substances—double the amount from a decade ago, according to a report issued by CASA.  This represents a clear problem for America because there is virtually no increase in drug treatment available.

Narconon of Georgia provides drug treatment and education for the entire southeast region. Narconon Drug Rehab of Georgia is a non-traditional drug abuse treatment program.

Prescription Drug Abuse: Offer Karla Xanax

National Institute on Drug Abuse video about prescription drug abuse, Choose Your Path series. Karla starts crying and you offer her your mom’s Xanax. As a result from the Xanax she does poorly on the group assignment. For a text-only version, see teens.drugabuse.gov Comments on this video are allowed in accordance with our comment policy: newmedia.hhs.gov
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