OxyContin a Growing Problem in East Boston
OxyContin was once considered a useful drug to treat those patients with pain that could not be eased with standard methods or less potent medications. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of the drug is the very thing that makes it so addictive.
The Boston Globe recently posted a piece that reported on public heath workers that are preparing to knock on every door in East Boston with information on the prevention and treatment of drug abuse. The Menino administration is concerned about the disproportionate abuse of OxyContin in the neighborhood and the impact of the recent arrest of the mayor’s aide for the sale of the drug.
State officials are promising they will fix the Massachusetts Prescription Monitoring Program, considered to be inadequate. Too many OxyContin pills and prescriptions are flowing freely out of doctors’ offices and pharmacies and falling into the wrong hands.
Hospitals and medical schools also play a role in stopping the sloppy practices of prescribing the medication. Medical students, resident doctors and medical school faculty can take advantage of the variety of lectures, case studies and workshops offered by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
OxyContin is also partly responsible for the state’s heroin problem as the value of the pill on the street can be eight to 10 times the cost of a bag of heroin. An addict will eventually opt for the cheaper high, pushing more and more people to heroin use.
The problem is widespread and is not keeping only to the stereotypical drug user. Many abusers have lost jobs, family, friends and a whole lifestyle as a result of their addiction. Knocking on every door may seem like an extreme measure – but maybe that is exactly what is needed for this extreme problem.