Meperidine - Consequences

Consequences

Meperidine and other opioids offer specific benefits when they are used appropriately. However, the benefits of the drugs must be weighed against the possibility of abuse or addiction. An established addiction is costly to maintain—financially, emotionally, and physically. Sufferers admit that a serious opioid addiction consumes all their energy. Everything in their lives eventually revolves around obtaining more of the drug. When the drug becomes the focus of life, they lose friends, alienate family members, and often find themselves unable to hold a job.

Those who are caught committing crimes to maintain their addiction may end up serving jail or prison time. The ultimate consequence may be the loss of life that can result from the abuse of a prescription drug—whether it is from the physical effects of an overdose or through violence that occurs as a result of the addiction.

When meperidine is used exclusively as a recreational drug, consequences include the very real possibility of overdose or severe interactions with other substances. According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, nearly half of all teens believe that the recreational use of prescription drugs is safer than the use of illicitUnlawful. street drugs. About one-third of teens do not realize that narcotic painkillers are addictive.

Unexpected Outcomes

Teens are drawn to the use of prescription drugs for a variety of reasons, including ease of availability, relatively low cost, and a perception that the pills are harmless because they are legally obtainable by prescription. This lack of knowledge about the physical effects of narcotics, as well as the consequences of using them illegally, can result in unexpected and tragic outcomes.

Healer or Dealer?

On April 14, 2005, Dr. William E. Hurwitz, a well-known pain doctor from McLean, Virginia, was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison. He was convicted in December 2004 of narcotics trafficking and running a drug conspiracy. The doctor was held responsible in the death of one patient and the serious injury of two others.

The case was watched closely because it reflected the ongoing debate over whether doctors should be allowed to prescribe large quantities of narcotic medications to patients who are in chronic pain. Critics of Dr. Hurwitz said that he continued providing patients with massive doses of highly addictive drugs, even when he knew that some of them were misusing or abusing their medications or selling them to others. The doctor's supporters said that he was a dedicated and caring medical professional. They believed he was determined to provide chronic pain sufferers with the relief they needed, despite intense government scrutiny of his drug prescription activity.

How the outcome of this case will affect the prescribing activity of doctors who specialize in pain control remains to be seen. However, the United States has an aging population that is living longer. With more people living more years with chronic conditions that cause pain, the "access vs. control" debate over pain relief drugs will continue.

The misuse of meperidine and other opioids affects people who live with chronic pain, because doctors become reluctant to write prescriptions that are needed for adequate pain relief. Members of the medical community agree that more education is needed by both doctors and patients to help prevent abuse and addiction. They want to ensure that patients truly in need are not denied access to meperidine and other narcotics based on misperceptions and fear. The benefits for individuals and society are great when pain is treated safely and effectively.