Some Pain Specialists Ordering Costly, Unneeded Drug Tests for Elderly

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

November 11th, 2014/

Some pain specialists are ordering costly, unneeded drug tests for their elderly patients, in order to receive payment from Medicare, The Wall Street Journal reports. These doctors are testing for drugs rarely used by elderly patients, such as heroin, cocaine and PCP.

Doctors who treat pain are encouraged to test their patients to make sure they are not abusing their painkillers. Drug tests can also indicate if a patient is not taking their medication, and selling it instead. After Medicare cracked down on abuse billing for simple urine tests, some doctors switched to high-tech testing methods such as mass spectrometry. The billing for these tests are not limited, the article notes. The doctors bill Medicare separately for each substance tested.

Many experts say high-tech drug tests should only be used to confirm results from less expensive, low-tech drug tests.

Medicare spent $445 million for 22 high-tech drug tests in 2012, up 1,423 percent in five years, according to the newspaper. Spending included $14 million for PCP tests. Dozens of pain doctors receive more Medicare payments for drug testing than for treating patients.

Government data suggests use of illegal drugs among the elderly is rare. Even when marijuana is counted, only about one in 1,000 seniors abuse or are addicted to illicit drugs. In contrast, prescription drug abuse among the elderly is a real and growing concern, experts note.

Dozens of Websites Selling Illegal Drugs Shut Down

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BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

November 11th, 2014

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Dozens of websites selling illegal drugs and guns were shut down by law enforcement authorities across the United States and Europe last week, The Wall Street Journal reports. One California man was arrested and charged with owning and operating Silk Road 2.0, one of the largest illegal online marketplaces.

Officials said they were able to pierce the anonymous shield offered by Tor, a network that uses encryption tools and thousands of servers to conceal online activity.

“As illegal activity online becomes more prevalent, criminals can no longer expect that they can hide in the shadows of the ‘dark web,’” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York said in a Department of Justice news release. “We shut down the original Silk Road website and now we have shut down its replacement, as well as multiple other ‘dark market’ sites allegedly offering all manner of illicit goods and services, from firearms to computer hacking. In coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, we will continue to seize websites that promote illegal and harmful activities, and prosecute those who create and operate them.”

Silk Road 2.0 and other similar sites advertised goods and services including illegal narcotics, firearms, stolen credit card data and personal identification information, counterfeit currency, fake passports and other identification documents, and computer-hacking tools and services, according to the Justice Department. The sites accepted payments in the virtual currency known as bitcoin, which is designed to be anonymous.

Last year, the FBI shut down the website Silk Road, which sold illegal drugs. Six months later, a report found the site had reopened and sales had bounced back. The report, by the group Digital Citizens Alliance, found the new version of the site, Silk Road 2.0, had 13,648 listings as of April 2, just slightly more than the 13,000 listings before the arrest of Silk Road’s founder in the fall of 2013.

PRO-ACT Family Addiction Education Program helps families address drug and alcohol addiction

Next free sessions start week of Dec. 2 at various locations in five counties

When someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol, the disease affects the entire family. Each month PRO-ACT (Pennsylvania Recovery Organization–Achieving Community Together) hosts a free Family Addiction Education Program to help individuals and families recognize and address an addiction problem in a spouse, parent, child or other loved one. Led by trained volunteers who have been in the same situation, these information and support programs begin the first week of each month and run one evening a week for three consecutive weeks. Each session lasts two hours.

Programs are offered at several locations throughout the five-county southeast Pennsylvania region:

· Tuesdays—From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Media and Northeast Philadelphia.

· Wednesdays—From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Pottstown; from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in North Philadelphia; and from 7p.m.to 9 p.m. in West Chester.

· Thursdays—From 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Northern Liberties; 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Bristol and Colmar.

Sessions are free and confidential—first names only. Pre-registration is required. To register, call 800-221-6333, weekdays 9 a.m. through 5 p.m., or visit http://councilsepa.org/programs/pro-act/family-education-program/.

On Thursday November 13th at 7pm EST the Addict's Mom Live Video Meeting on In the Rooms www.intherooms.com Denise Krochta will be discussing how to have joyful holiday while loving an addict. 

From Denise,

When the holidays and families ...events approach do you react with joy and anticipation or does fear, anxiety, and panic invade your whole being?

Many of us who have chaos and drama in our lives, due to mental illness, addiction, alcoholism, disease, can’t help but feel negatively about the holidays.

What is going to happen this time to disrupt our plans and peace? What will other people think when chaos occurs that they didn’t expect? Is it worth even participating in holiday and family events or should we just make excuses and stay at home?

Everyone should be able to enjoy their families and friends during special events and holidays no matter what chaos and drama surrounds them and no matter the choice of others. There are simple tools and strategies we can use to plan ahead.

Here are some questions to ask me.

Questions: What do the holidays with an addict mean to you? What has been your experience?

Can we plan ahead for the holidays so when (or if) chaos and drama takes over, we already have a plan and are not "jolted" with fear?

What things can we do, if we want to, for our addicts for the holidays so they feel loved but our other loved ones can feel loved and not neglected?

What do we do if we want to give gifts to everyone during the holidays and still be prudent and diplomatic?

Do we include our addicts in family gatherings? What are the possibilities and/or probabilities?

These are all questions we need to be able to answer ahead of time so we can enjoy our holidays. If we have a plan, decide who needs to be part of the plan, get everyone on the same page, and be 100% willing to implement the plan if necessary, joy and calm can be a possibility during holidays and family gatherings. 

Denise

author/speaker/radio host

http://addictsfamilylifeline.com/

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November 12 Chp 103 v 3 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.

STEP 2 - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

Get Clean ! Commit step one and two ! It must be sincere or you will remain messed up . God has given you the steps and promises all you have to do is do it His way .This is how 99.9 percent of us have gotten sober . Once you realize you do not know it all and you cannot do this with out help then you will be well on your way to getting sober.

John 8:3 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

By Joseph Dickerson

The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc.                                                   and           Pennsylvania Recovery Organization --      Achieving Community Together (PRO-ACT)  Recovery in Our Communities November 11, 2014  www.councilsepa.org Information and Recovery Support Line 24/7: 800-221-6333 Wishing You a Happy Veterans Day!  Over the next four weeks our newsletter will move from focusing on individual recovery using the HALT system, to the impact of ATOD use on the family. The next topic in our newsletter series, "Preserving Our Next Generation," will provide information, resources and programs that focus on the family.    Preserving Our Next Generation Series:  Parents...The #1 Prevention Tool Parents Have the Power! Parents - did you know that you are the most powerful prevention tool in your child's life? Contrary to popular belief, your influence is greater than that of peers, the Internet and social media! This fact is backed by over 35 years of scientific research. Engaging in on-going dialogue with your child about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) is one of the best strategies you can employ to improve your child's outlook for a healthy, drug-free future. When to have the talk? Using ATOD is a decision that youth are being forced to make at increasingly earlier ages. The average child takes his or her first drink at age 12. The earlier parents begin dialogue with their children about drug and alcohol prevention, the less likely they are to turn to these substances when they reach adolescence. The conversation and language will sound different depending on the child's age. Information should be age-appropriate. For instance, early elementary children should understand the difference between food and poison, medicine and illegal drugs, but older children should understand the risks and short- and long-term consequences of ATOD, including addiction. Continue the dialogue, even throughout the college years. (Continue reading)  NEW! Certificate in Supporting Youth Recovery Program! The Council is excited to announce an innovative certificate program to prepare individuals to provide peer-based recovery support services to youth, adolescents, young adults, and their families.  The Peer Paraprofessional Certificate in Supporting Youth Recovery goes beyond the current requirements for the Certified Recovery Specialist Credential in Pennsylvania by providing students with enhanced and specialized training to work with youth, adolescents, young adults and their families. Read more here.   Save the Date!  Wednesday, December 17, 2014, 6:30 pm at Bucks County Court House Lobby, Doylestown, PA. Click here for more info.  AT OUR CENTERS    G.R.A.S.P. Program - (Grief Recovery After A Substance Passing) every first and thirdThursday of the month at 7 pm at SBRCC, 1286 Veterans Hwy, D-6, Bristol. Provides sources of help, compassion, and understanding for families who have had a loved one die through drug use. Email or call Karen at 215-788-3738 x100.  Family Program - meets the first three Thursdays of each month 7 - 9 pm at SBRCC, 1286 Veterans Hwy, D-6 Bristol. Gather information and resources to help your family deal with addiction. Pre-registration required. Call 1-800-221-6333 Mon.-Fri. 9am - 5pmfor information or to register.  "A Sugar Seminar" at CBRCC, November 19, 9 am - 12 noon, Bailiwick Unit 12, 252 W Swamp Road, Doylestown.  Learn how sugar affects your recovery and relapse potential.  Click here for more information. To register call Rick at 215-345-6644.  Recovery Enhancement Classes at PRCC, 1701 W Lehigh Ave, Philadelphia, 19132. 10 week course running Thursdays Nov. 20 - Feb. 12 from 5 - 7 pm.  Various topics.  Call 215-223-7700 to register. Space is limited.    Gateway to Work every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 am at SBRCC, 1286, Veterans Highway, Unit D-6, Bristol; 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month at 1:00 pmat CBRCC, 252 W Swamp Road, Doylestown. Get help with resume building, barriers to employment and motivation. Contact Rick at 215-345-6644 or email for more information. Click here for November calendars.    WAYS TO GET INVOLVED WITH PRO-ACT Recovery Mentor Training - open to all volunteers!  Nov. 17 & 20 from 9 am - 4 pmSBRCC, 1286 Veterans Hwy, Suite D6, Bristol, contact Karen at 215-788-3738 x100; Nov. 24 & 25 at PRTC from 9 am - 4 pm, 444 N 3rd St., Suite 307, Philadelphia 19123, contact John at 215-923-1661.  Family Program Facilitator Training - for those interested in helping families and friends deal with the addiction of a loved one.  Nov. 22 from 9 am - 4 pm, PRTC 444 N 3rd Street, Philadelphia, 19123.  Contact John at 215-923-1661. Committee Meetings All Volunteer Meeting, at PRTC, November 20, 5:30 - 7:30 pm Amends in Action, at PRTC, November 12, 3 - 4 pm Recreation Celebration, at PRCC, November 14, 3 - 4 pm Young People in Recovery, at PRTC, November 17, 7:30 - 8:30 pm Educating the Community, at PRCC, November 21, 3 - 4 pm. Recovery Walks 2015 Planning Committee, at PRTC, December 1, 6 - 7:30 pm Volunteer for The Council/PRO-ACT !! Contact one of our Volunteer Coordinators: Central Bucks:  Email or call Rick at 215-345-6644 Southern Bucks:  Email or call Karen at 215-788-3738 x100 Philadelphia: Email or call She-Ria at 215-233-7700 or Email John or call 215-923-1661  Chester, Delaware and Montco: Email or call John at 215-923-1661 PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! Committees: Email  or call John at 215-923-1661 Employment Opportunities: Click here

DONATE Donations help us to reduce the impact of addiction for more individuals and families. The Council is a 501(c)(3) organization.