Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Race Festival

Support the Gaudenzia Gladiator Dragon Boat Team and Gaudenzia's Eastern Region programs at the Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival.

Our team consisting of 25 friends, alumni, and staff members will race against other teams throughout the day. A total of 140 teams are participating in the event.

We are spreading awareness of Gaudenzia and of drug and alcohol awareness, treatment, and prevention.

You can support the Gladiators by making a donation in support of Gaudenzia's drug & alcohol treatment services and/or visit our tent on race day to cheer us on!

Click here for ways to support your Gaudenzia Gladiators!

Team members are raising funds to support Gaudenzia's drug & alcohol treatment services.  Support the team as a whole with a general contribution or help a team member reach his/her goal!

Date(s):	October 5, 2013
Time(s):	8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location:	Boathouse Row Philadelphia, PA Our tent is located along Kelly Drive, Philadelphia, PA past the Race Finish Line at Shuttle Bus Stop #5, Tent # 137 and 138

16th Annual Race for Recovery, Erie, PA

Celebrate National Drug/Alcohol Recovery Month with Gaudenzia Erie!
Food | Door Prizes | T-Shirts for Registered Participants

3rd and final race of the 2013 Triple Crown Series by Erie Runner's Club

Team Registration and Participation is Encouraged and Welcomed:
erieraceforrecovery.com or contact
Levii Collins - (814) 459-4775 ext. 27 | Suzie Ross - (814) 459-4775 ext. 16

Date(s):	September 29, 2013
Time(s):	9:00 am
Location:	Presque Isle State Park, Rotary Pavilion PA

Fresh Start 10th Anniversary, Wilmington, DE

Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of Gaudenzia Fresh Start's 10 years of providing drug and alcohol addiction treatment services to Delaware. Recognition will be made to graduates, parents, staff, and community members who contributed to the success of Fresh Start.  Business casual attire please.

6:00 - Registration and Light Dinner
7:00 - Remarks
8:00 - Entertainment

Please click here to register

For questions or more information please contact: 302-738-0619 or freshstart@meetingsbydesign.net

Date(s):	September 28, 2013
Time(s):	6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Location:	Barclays 125 South West Street Wilmington, DE 19801

Baltimore Recovery Day and Fun Fair

Baltimore Recovery Day and Fun Fair, hosted by Gaudenzia, the Park Heights Renaissance and NCADD Maryland, will celebrate National Recovery Month in Baltimore by breaking ground on Gaudenzia's newest addition to the continuum of care for pregnant and parenting women, the Park Heights Family Center.  Join greater Baltimore community for a block party and health fair with live entertainment from local performers. 

For more information, please contact Andrew Keimig, Chesapeake Region Community Affairs Manager, at 410-367-5501 ext. 8206 or akeimig@gaudenzia.org.

Date(s):	September 7, 2013
Time(s):	11:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m.
Location:	4600 Block of Park Heights Avenue Baltimore, MD 21215

Stephen Lloyd, MD,The Partnership at Drugfree.org

Dear Joseph 

I am a doctor, and I am in recovery from prescription medicine abuse.

Some might be surprised to hear that, but the truth is that my profession did not make me immune to the painkiller addiction that started the way many others do — I abused medicine hoping it would help me cope with stress. I had some leftover pain medication after a dental procedure, and I took it in an effort to relax. At first, I thought I had found the perfect solution for my anxiety issues. I felt better.

I started taking more and more prescription pain relievers to feed what became an addiction.

Before I knew it, I had a real problem. My biggest secret? When one of my favorite professors became terminally ill and chose me to be his doctor, I stole and abused his opiates. I had hit an all-time low.

I began isolating myself. I lost interest in the things I loved to do, like coaching my son and daughter in their sports. I lost interest in my life in general.

Eventually, my family intervened, and I checked into a treatment center.

I was skeptical about treatment, even though I was entering a center that specifically treated doctors. We hadn't learned anything about medicine addiction, abuse or treatment in medical school. I just didn't think there was anyone who could help me.

Once I got clean, I made it my mission to make sure every graduate of my medical school would have a basic understanding about addiction, addictive disease and prescribing narcotics. I now dedicate my life to this goal. Perhaps if I had learned more about the nature and treatment of this disease, I would have been able to avoid my own medicine addiction.

It's important to talk to your doctor about the dangers of misusing and abusing the medicine he or she prescribes to you or your children. If your doctor hasn't yet brought this up with you, it may be time to bring it up yourself.

My dream is that one day, all doctors will know more about addiction and play a role in preventing medicine abuse. You can help by starting the conversation.

Stephen Loyd, MD, FACP

Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine and East Tennessee State University

Forward this Email

Conquering Grounds Music Fest September 14, 2013

Buy Tickets Here To raise money for the CLPRM Scholarship Fund, Helping those struggling with Addiction
On the Campus of Christian Life Center, 3100 Galloway Rd., Bensalem, PA 19020
Bring a Lawn Chair or Blanket
Rain or Shine Event
12 noon to 7 pm

there is hope - dave pettigrew

Ethical Issues Surround Rise in Doctors’ Use of Urine Drug Testing to Prevent Abuse

By Join Together Staff | August 2, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Healthcare, Prescription Drugs & Prevention

As a growing number of doctors use urine drug tests in an effort to detect prescription drug abuse in their patients, they face ethical questions about the tests, according to The New York Times.
These questions include how accurate the tests are, what doctors should do with the results, and whether doctors are benefitting financially from the tests. This year, sales at diagnostic testing labs that offer urine drug tests are expected to reach $2 billion.
Urine tests indicate many pain patients are not taking their prescribed painkillers, or are taking substances not prescribed to them by a doctor. If patients are not taking a prescribed medication, it could mean they simply stopped using it, or it could mean they are selling it.
Dr. Roger Chou, who helped develop urine-screening guidelines for the American Pain Society, says that while he believes the tests are valuable, he is concerned doctors may use the results as an excuse to drop patients, instead of sending them to addiction treatment or other pain management programs.
There are two basic types of urine drug tests. A patient taking a qualitative test leaves a urine sample in a cup that is imbedded with strips designed to detect drugs such as opioids, cocaine, amphetamines and barbiturates. These tests have both high false-positive and false-negative rates, meaning they often indicate a drug is present when it is not, or they fail to detect a drug that is present in a person’s urine. The tests detect methadone but not oxycodone, the article notes.
Qualitative tests are being used in states that have passed laws requiring welfare recipients to undergo drug screening.
A more sophisticated and expensive urine drug test used in pain patients is called quantitative analysis. A patient can beat the test by taking their prescription medicine for a day or two, and selling the rest.

West Virginia County Creates Database to Track Children at Risk of Drug-Related Abuse

By Join Together Staff | August 1, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related, Drugs & Legal

Law enforcement officers in one West Virginia county will start using a database this week to track children who may be at risk of drug-related abuse, according to the Associated Press.
Starting today, law enforcement officers in Putnam County can enter any drug-related cases in which a child’s safety could be compromised. The Drug Endangered Child Tracking System will allow officers to report cases in which they are suspicious of child endangerment, but do not have proof, such as when they find a pacifier or empty car seat in a vehicle that has been transformed into a mobile meth lab.
Until now, officers have had no formal way to share suspicions of child endangerment directly with child welfare workers in drug cases, the AP reports. “We just didn’t input the data to make a black-and-white document, and in law enforcement, if it’s not on paper, it didn’t happen,” said Putnam County Sheriff, Steve Deweese.
Child-welfare workers will be able to log into the system to search for cases. “Law enforcement does a great job of identifying kids — if they’re there. But sometimes, you may not know there are children involved,” Sara Whitney, an investigator in the Putnam County prosecutor’s office, told the AP. “A lot of these kids come and go from relatives or neighbors, and it may be that when law enforcement interacts with the parents, they are somewhere else.”
West Virginia State Police hope the tracking system eventually will be used throughout the state, the article notes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS - Ethics in Atlanta - Reason #1 I Love My NAADAC Membership - New Job Openings - ASAM Training - Free Magazine Article - NAADAC Webinars - Clinical Supervision Tool QUICK LINKS Contact Us Join NAADAC About NAADAC Membership Benefits State Affiliates Events Calendar Education Approved Providers Certification Advocacy Code of Ethics Annual Conference Online Store EVENTS [ webinar schedule ] [ on demand ] Emerging Drugs of Abuse: Herbal Incense, Bath Salts & Purple Drank  Wed, 8/14/2013  3 - 4:30pm EST (2 CST/1 MST/12 PST) [ More Information ] Understanding the Role of Peer Recovery Coaches in the Addiction Profession  Wed, 8/21/2013  12 - 1:30pm EST (11 CST/10 MST/9 PST) [ More Information ] Using Recovery-Oriented Principles in Addiction Counseling Practice  Thurs, 8/29/2013  12 - 2pm EST (11 CST/10 MST/9 PST) [ More Information ] SuperD: Tools for Success Training Join NAADAC and CDWS to learn more about SuperD, a new software service created to provide clinical supervision support electronically and efficiently. Product highlights: - Documentation venues and standard reports for all types of supervision - Be more productive with advanced sorting of group and individual supervision by type, date and time - Develop the supervisory requirements and framework for supervisors and supervisees - Easily attach supporting documents or outcome data to augment supervision sessions - Maintain supervision accountability and follow through with automated e-mails and alerts - Instant reports for clinical licensure requirements Eugene, OR - August 5, 2013 from 8am-4pm [ More Information ] Lynnwood, WA - August, 8, 2013 from 8am-4pm [ More Information ]  August 1, 2013 Understanding Ethics: It's More Than a Code NAADAC Annual Conference in Atlanta - October 11-15, 2013 The NAADAC Annual Conference, co-hosted by the Georgia Addiction Counselors Association and other partners, offers the education you need as professionals at the cutting-edge of prevention, treatment and recovery. One of the issues that faces professionals on a daily basis is the ethical challenge of being that part of such a life-changing vocation. The October 12th workshop session, The Ethical Self: Who Am I Now? will feature Anne Hatcher, EdD, CAC III, NCAC II, Professor Emeritus of Metropolitan State University Denver and Mita M Johnson, LPC, LMFT, ACS, AAMFT-approved Clinical Supervisor, LAC, MAC. This workshop will focus on understanding and evaluating the impact of life experience, personal growth and current circumstances on decisions related to ethical standards. Depending on the stage your career is at, ethical decisions or interpretations might differ. This session will help participants understanding of the intent of the code of ethics that guides our practice and the role experience and a greater understanding of the recovery process plays in decision-making. [ Browse Full Conference Schedule ]  Over 30 units of Continuing Education available!  Don't forget - deadline for scholarship applications is August 12, 2013. Register by August 12 to take advantage of a $50 Early-bird discount. Hotel Booking Deadline on September 16, 2013. Reserve your great rate and free Internet. Visit www.NAADAC.org/conferences for full conference information or register online. Reason #1 I Love My NAADAC Membership Over 75 online CEs free exclusively for NAADAC members, including 5 hours of free online courses and over 70 hours of free webinars. All continuing education is offered online and at your convenience 24/7. Simply watch the webinar/online course of your choice, complete the online CE quiz and receive a free CE certificate to use towards your license/credential. [ Join NAADAC ] - [ Membership Benefits ] Missed the DSM-5 webinar? Watch the recording on demand and take the online CE quiz to earn 1.5 CEs for your time. All free to NAADAC members!  [ View Upcoming Webinars ] - [ View On Demand Webinars ] [ View Online Courses ] Ready to Jumpstart Your Career? Check out the NAADAC Career Center for the latest opportunities of addiction-focused professionals. New this week are: Admissions Coordinator at the Crossroads Centre, Antigua in St. John's – Antigua in the West Indies Executive Director of the Metropolitan Human Services District in New Orleans, Louisiana. More details [ Browse Current Career Listings ]  Emerging Problems and Advances in Addiction Treatment October 24 – 26, 2013 Arlington, VA Hosted by The American Society of Addiction Medicine ASAM's State of the Art Course will bring together assembled experts and national leaders in addiction medicine to identify the critical issues that will define a roadmap for exploring "Emerging Problems and Advances in Addiction Treatment." The course is designed specifically for physicians who seek an advanced level of knowledge about recent breakthroughs in understanding, preventing, diagnosing and treating addiction and co-occurring medical and psychiatric disorders. The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. This live activity, State of the Art Course in Addiction Medicine, has been approved for 20.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. [ More Information ] Free Article from NAADAC's Magazine The official magazine of NAADAC is only available to members, but as a special gift, this article is available to you for free. Christopher Shea addresses the issue of compassion fatigue in the latest edition of Advances for Addiction and Recovery with his article "The Spirituality of Connectedness." Earn 2 CEs for $25 - Read this article and Complete the online CE quiz. [ View All Free Magazine Articles ]   NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals 1001 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 201, Alexandria, VA 22314 Phone: 703.741.7686 / 800.548.0497 Send To Friend | Unsubscribe

How Addiction Treatment Killed Cory Monteith | The Fix

How Addiction Treatment Killed Cory Monteith | The Fix

Methamphetamine Raises Risk of Death From Fungal Lung Infection: Mouse Study

By Join Together Staff | July 31, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Drugs & Research

Methamphetamine may raise the risk of dying from a fungal lung infection called cryptococcus, a new study in mice suggests.
The infection is caused by a fungus called Cryptococcus neoformans, which generally is harmless in healthy people, HealthDay reports. Methamphetamine can cause gaps in the blood-brain barrier, allowing the fungus to move from the lungs to the brain, where it can cause a deadly infection.
Researchers found injecting meth into mice that were infected with the fungus significantly increased the amount of the fungus in the lungs. Their disease progressed more quickly, and they died sooner, compared with mice infected with the fungus but not injected with meth. Nine days after they were infected with the fungus, all of the mice injected with meth had died, compared with half of the mice not given the drug.
The study is published in the journal mBio.

Investigation Uncovers Fraud by California Rehab Clinics

By Join Together Staff | July 31, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol, Community Related, Drugs, Government & Treatment

An investigation by The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) and CNN has uncovered fraud by California rehab clinics that receive government funds to assist clients who are poor and addicted.
According to CNN, these clinics diagnose people with addictions they don’t have, so they can increase client rolls. The clinics recruit mentally ill residents from group homes to attend therapy sessions. They attract patients from the street through incentives of cash, food and cigarettes, and have them sign in for days they do not attend sessions. One clinic billed for clients who could not have attended sessions, either because they were in jail or dead.
The state’s Drug Medi-Cal program paid $94 million in the past two fiscal years to 56 Southern California clinics that CNN says showed signs of deceptive or questionable billing practices. This represents half of all public funding to the program. The findings come from a review of government records and interviews with counselors, patients and regulators.
Earlier this month, the California Department of Health Care Services announced an investigation of 16 substance abuse treatment centers for patients on Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance plan for people on welfare and other low-income residents. The centers are suspected of fraud and hiring providers who have felonies on their records.
According to the department, the clinics billed Medi-Cal for services that were not medically necessary, and charged for services they did not offer. The department is also investigating whether workers hired some employees who had been convicted of neglecting and abusing patients at other health centers. The centers will remain open, but will not be receiving funds from Medi-Cal during the investigation.

More States Protecting Retailers from Being Liable for Alcohol-Related Harms

By Join Together Staff | July 30, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol, Legal, Legislation & Prevention

In recent years, a growing number of states have passed laws protecting retailers from being liable for harms caused by customers served alcohol illegally, according to a new study.
Researchers at the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and colleagues from Alcohol Policy Consultations, found an erosion of so-called commercial host liability laws from 1989 to 2011, Medical Xpress reports.
These laws hold alcohol retailers liable for harms attributable to alcohol, which result from illegal alcohol sales to a person who is intoxicated or underage at the time of service. The laws apply in bars, restaurants and clubs, as well as in off-premise locations.
The findings will appear in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
“The erosion of commercial host liability in recent decades is a public health failure that directly contributes to the exorbitant human and economic costs of excessive drinking,” lead author James F. Mosher, JD, of Alcohol Policy Consultations, said in a news release. “Alcohol retailers who operate negligently and engage in illegal serving practices should not receive special protection, denying those who are injured their day in court.”
A study published in 2011 found holding alcohol retailers liable for injuries or damage done by their customers who are intoxicated can reduce alcohol-related occurrences including motor vehicle deaths, homicides and injuries, according to a nationwide task force.

Drop in U.S. Cocaine Use Due to Waning Popularity, New Colombian Drug Strategies

By Join Together Staff | July 29, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Drugs

The dramatic decrease in cocaine use in America is due to a number of factors, ranging from changing trends to new drug control strategies implemented by Colombia, according to NPR.
The 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found the number of Americans ages 12 or older who are current users of cocaine has dropped by 44 percent since 2006.
One reason cocaine’s popularity has declined is it simply went out of fashion, according to Peter Reuter, a professor of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, who researches drug problems. “The drug went out of vogue a long time ago,” he told NPR. “Lots of people experiment with it, but very few of the people that experiment with it in the last 20 years have gone on to become regular users of it.”
Colombia, a major cocaine producer, implemented new strategies to reduce cocaine production after 2008. In 2000, the country grew 74 percent of the world’s coca leaves. Colombia spent billions of dollars to fight drug cartels and coca crops. Starting in 2008, the country’s new defense minister, Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, began emphasizing drug seizures, and targeting facilities that manufactured cocaine.
The supply of cocaine dropped, the price of the drug in the United States rose, and consumption likely decreased as a result, says Daniel Mejia, Director of the Research Center on Drugs and Security at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogota.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) announced there has been a 41 percent decrease in worldwide cocaine production since 2001, and a 10 percent drop from the previous year. ONDCP says a U.S.-Columbian partnership has contributed to the drop in worldwide cocaine production. Interceptions by the Coast Guard and Defense Department along drug trafficking routes have also led to a decrease in the amount of cocaine entering the United States.

Indiana Poison Center Reports Dramatic Drop in Synthetic Drug Overdoses

By Join Together Staff | July 24, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related & Drugs

The Indiana Poison Center reports major decreases in the number of reported overdoses from synthetic drugs such as bath salts and Spice, according to the Associated Press.
The state passed its first synthetic drug ban in 2011. Since then, there has been an 86 percent decrease in reported overdoses of bath salts, and a 61 percent drop in overdoses of Spice, or synthetic marijuana.
State Senator Jim Merritt, who sponsored the synthetic drug ban, said in a news release, “Synthetic drug use quickly became an epidemic in Indiana, with these products cropping up in convenience stores and gas stations across the state. These drugs provide absolutely no value to society, have dangerous and destructive side effects, and fuel a culture of casual drug use. I am energized to see Indiana’s rates dropping and I pledge to continue this fight.”
People using bath salts have experienced side effects including paranoia and violent behavior; hallucinations; delusions; suicidal thoughts; seizures; panic attacks; increased blood pressure and heart rate; chest pain; and nausea and vomiting.
According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, health effects from synthetic marijuana can be life-threatening and can include severe agitation and anxiety; fast, racing heartbeat and higher blood pressure; nausea and vomiting; muscle spasms, seizures, and tremors; intense hallucinations and psychotic episodes; and suicidal and other harmful thoughts and/or actions.

Massachusetts City Reports 95% Success Rate With Opioid Overdose Antidote Narcan

By Join Together Staff | July 23, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related, Drugs, Government, Prescription Drugs & Treatment

The police department of Quincy, Massachusetts, the first in the nation to require every officer on patrol to carry the opioid overdose antidote Narcan, reports a 95 percent success rate with the treatment. Quincy police have used Narcan 179 times, and reversed overdoses 170 times since 2010, CBS News reports
In the nine remaining cases, five people were already dead when police arrived, and four people had consumed other substances. Narcan, also known as naloxone, only reverses opioid overdoses. It costs $22 a dose.
Quincy police officer Ryan Donnelly, who has used Narcan to reverse eight overdoses before paramedics arrived, said, “They’re somebody’s daughter or son or father or brother or mother. That’s what clicks in your head.”
Quincy narcotics detective Patrick Glynn, who oversees the Narcan program, says the police have two doses in every cruiser. About 200 officers are trained to use Narcan. “We changed our philosophy,” Glynn said. “It’s just a simple change where we decided that we cannot arrest our way out of this epidemic.”
Narcan has been used for many years by paramedics and doctors in emergency rooms. It is administered by nasal spray. The medication blocks the ability of heroin or opioid painkillers to attach to brain cells. The U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy told CBS News it is encouraging other police departments to carry Narcan.
In the past few years, Narcan has been distributed free to opioid users and their loved ones, in a growing number of sites around the country.

Brewers’ Ryan Braun Suspended for Rest of Baseball Season for Drug Violations

By Join Together Staff | July 23, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Prescription Drugs

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun has been suspended for the rest of the season by Major League Baseball (MLB), for violating the league’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, MLB.com reports.
Braun will miss 65 regular-season games, and any potential post-season games. His suspension is without pay. He is the first in a potential group of baseball players to be banned because of their connection with a South Florida clinic accused of supplying performance-enhancing drugs to players, according to Bloomberg.
“We’ve scratched the tip of the iceberg,” MLB Network analyst Mitch Williams told Bloomberg. “There’s going to be a whole lot more suspensions after this.” Other players who might face suspensions include the New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez and the Texas Rangers’ Nelson Cruz, the article notes. About 20 players could eventually face suspension.
The players are connected with a Miami-area clinic, Biogenesis of America, which is now closed. In January, a Florida newspaper reported Rodriguez and Braun obtained performance-enhancing drugs from Biogenesis. MLB filed a suit against Biogenesis for allegedly providing performance-enhancing drugs to players, and advising them on how to pass drug tests. The clinic’s owner, Tony Bosch, reached an agreement to cooperate with a MLB investigation.
In January, MLB and its players union announced they reached an agreement to conduct in-season blood testing of players for human growth hormone. Players also will be tested for synthetic testosterone, which is increasingly popular because it washes out of the body fairly quickly after being used.
Major League Baseball was the first major sport in the United States to agree to human growth hormone testing. It reached an agreement with its union in November 2011 to test for the substance, but only in spring training and the off-season. The new agreement expands the testing into the baseball season.

Smoking and Heavy Drinking May Hasten Decline in Brain Function: Study

By Join Together Staff | July 12, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol, Mental Health, Research & Tobacco

People who are both smokers and heavy drinkers have a faster decline in brain function, compared with those who don’t smoke and who drink moderately, a new study suggests. Smoking and heavy drinking is associated with a 36 percent quicker decline in cognitive function.
The 10-year study of almost 6,500 adults ages 45 to 69 found mental decline accelerates the more alcohol a person consumes, according to HealthDay. The study considered heavy drinking to be more than 14 drinks a week for women, and 21 for men.
“Current advice is that smokers should stop or cut down, and people should avoid heavy alcohol drinking,” lead researcher Dr. Gareth Hagger-Johnson of University College London said in a news release. “Our study suggests that people should also be advised not to combine these two unhealthy behaviors — particularly from midlife onwards. Healthy behaviors in midlife may prevent cognitive [mental] decline into early old age.”
The researchers assessed participants’ mental function, including verbal and math reasoning, short-term verbal memory and verbal fluency, three times during the study.
“When we looked at people who were heavy-drinking smokers, we found that for every 10 years that they aged, their brains aged the equivalent of 12 years,” Hagger-Johnson said. “From a public health perspective, the increasing burden associated with cognitive [mental] aging could be reduced if lifestyle factors can be modified, and we believe that people should not drink alcohol more heavily in the belief that alcohol is a protective factor against cognitive decline.”
The findings appear in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

“Doctor Shoppers” Bought 4.3 Million Prescriptions for Opioids in 2008: Study

By Join Together Staff | July 18, 2013 | 1 Comment | Filed in Healthcare, Prescription Drugs & Research

People who “doctor shop” bought an estimated 4.3 million prescriptions for opioids such as Vicodin and OxyContin in 2008, a new study finds. Doctor shoppers, who visit multiple health care providers to obtain prescriptions, represented almost 1 percent of all buyers of addictive pain medications in the United States that year.
The study, conducted by the think tank Abt Associates, is the first national estimate of doctor shopping in the country, the researchers said.
“There’s a hole in our prescription control system in the United States,” study co-author Douglas McDonald told HealthDay. “Lacking a universal health record, doctors have to rely on what patients tell them about what they’ve been prescribed by other doctors.”  This means “doctor shoppers can get multiple prescriptions for the same drug if they lie to their physician,” he said.
The researchers analyzed a national sample of more than 146 prescriptions for opioids dispensed in 2008. They found one out of every 143 patients who purchased the drugs received an unusually large number of prescriptions from multiple health care providers. These patients obtained an average of 32 prescriptions from 10 different doctors.
The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Although many states have prescription drug monitoring programs designed to detect doctor shopping, some people are able to get around the system, McDonald said. “There are patients who have doctored MRI results, they go from doctor to doctor and show this falsified MRI record that shows they have a bone spur in their neck and they are in intense pain.”
Steve Pasierb, President and CEO of The Partnership at Drugfree.org, said because the monitoring programs function at the state level, doctor shoppers can avoid detection by crossing state lines. “I could have gotten a prescription in Portland yesterday, and then come to Connecticut and get another prescription,” he said.