Legislative Medicine
Bloomberg likes to wear himself a lotta hats. He's gone from the New York City Mayor hat to the soda nanny hat, and now he's decided to don the doctor hat, entering the field of medicine with an edict intended to crack down on prescription pill abuse:
Anemona Hartocollis writes in The New York Times:
Under the new city policy, most public hospital patients will no longer be able to get more than three days' worth of narcotic painkillers like Vicodin and Percocet. Long-acting painkillers, including OxyContin, a familiar remedy for chronic backache and arthritis, as well as Fentanyl patches and methadone, will not be dispensed at all. And lost, stolen or destroyed prescriptions will not be refilled.City officials said the policy was aimed at reducing the growing dependency on painkillers and preventing excess amounts of drugs from being taken out of medicine chests and sold on the street or abused by teenagers and others who want to get high.
..."Here is my problem with legislative medicine," said Dr. Alex Rosenau, president-elect of the American College of Emergency Physicians and senior vice chairman of emergency medicine at Lehigh Valley Health Network in Eastern Pennsylvania. "It prevents me from being a professional and using my judgment."
While someone could fake a toothache to get painkillers, he said, another patient might have legitimate pain and not be able to get an appointment at a dental clinic for days. Or, he said, a patient with a hand injury may need more than three days of pain relief until the swelling goes down and an operation could be scheduled.
Such a crock, he seriously needs to be stopped! As someone who has gone through one spinal fusion and getting ready for another one (I really need people to stop hitting my cars!) this little gem by Bloomberg would really make my life suck. You're never going to be able to stop the people that are in ER to score a high. I have a friend who is a charge nurse, and she can tell the difference between people in legitimate pain, and those looking to score. I would think a doctor could figure it out by using his medical training.
sara at January 11, 2013 5:40 AM
Then the problem will be unprescribed prescription drugs imported from states with weaker laws.
Meanwhile, those suffering from pain will still be able to buy illegal drugs like heroin on the street corner. It might not be safe, but pain is pain.
There's nothing an all powerful government can't do to you. And you can bet nanny Bloomberg's fortune that he won't be suffering as a result of these prohibitions.
Interesting, coming from a government that considers waterboarding terrorists to be inhumane.
MarkD at January 11, 2013 5:40 AM
I'd like to see Bloomberg's diploma from a medical school. The man is a sniveling, stupid, nanny that needs to be confined to a mental institution.
Jim P. at January 11, 2013 6:00 AM
We need to bring back the institution of confining the perp in the stocks. Confine Nanny Bloomberg in the stocks placed in central park. Sell rotten tomatoes and the privilege of pelting him with same. Great fund raiser and a good lesson for nanny jerks everywhere.
Bar Sinister at January 11, 2013 6:30 AM
This is why people are wrong when they say that under socialized medicine, instead of treating you, they'll just send you away with pain pills. There won't be any pain pills.
Cousin Dave at January 11, 2013 6:38 AM
It's a scary thing, when the people "in charge" throw logic and common sense out the window, in favor of being "in charge".
I swear, once I win the lottery, I'm goin' off the grid.
o.O
Flynne at January 11, 2013 6:48 AM
So...
Do you think that Federal involvement in your health care, via the Affordable Health Care Act, does not do this as well?
Radwaste at January 11, 2013 7:06 AM
Private hospitals, doctors, and public hospitals outside of NYC aren't subject to the new law. This only applies to patients who obtain their drugs from NYC public hospitals. I'd like to know how many of the 250,000 New Yorkers abusing RX drugs are getting them from that source.
This isn't about stopping people from getting RX drugs, it's about stopping poor people from getting RX drugs.
Boldly Beth at January 11, 2013 7:43 AM
What Boldly Beth said.
When I lived in Oregon, Advil Cold & Sinus and the like weren't just kept behind the counter -- you needed a doctor's prescription for the OTC medicine. This was, in theory, to thwart meth production.
What it really meant is that anyone who didn't have the money or time for a doctor's visit (or didn't have the means to go across the border into Washington) couldn't avail him- or herself of this simple, inexpensive and highly effective medication.
Bloomberg effed up the Sandy response worse than Ray Nagin did for Katrina. Can he just leave now?
Kevin at January 11, 2013 8:50 AM
New Jersey is but a train ride away.
Steve Daniels at January 11, 2013 8:53 AM
>>and preventing excess amounts of drugs from being taken out of medicine chests and sold on the street or abused by teenagers and others who want to get high.
Someone should point out that this law does not prevent theft, but it does prevent theft victims from getting pain relief. But you know, it's their own fault for being theft victims and they deserve their pain. It's the humane thing to do.
Assholio at January 11, 2013 9:17 AM
Kevin, I recently wrote something about the red tape involved in obtaining certain common OTC medications.
Boldly Beth at January 11, 2013 9:32 AM
Are you shitting me? What about surgical patients? I had pain pills for more than 3 days after each c-section. I'm not a junkie. When I get my tummy tuck, I'll be on oxy for about 10 days.
Someone needs to refresh the tree of liberty with this asshats blood.
momof4 at January 11, 2013 11:01 AM
There won't be any pain pills.
Now, now, there'll be pain pills.
That they happen to be 100% sugar is immaterial. Teh Won will deem them to be pain pills. So he has autopenned, so shall it be done!
I R A Darth Aggie at January 11, 2013 11:29 AM
We have far too many government officials dictating their will upon us - all the while insisting that they're doing it for the greater good?
Bloomberg bans fats, sodium, and large sodas for our own good.
Emboldened by getting away with those encroachments on individual liberty, he now wants to restrict the availability of pain killers because it will "save lives" even if some have to "suffer a little bit."
Obama is threatening to use executive orders to ban guns, because "if it saves just one life...."
The saddest part is that we the people re-elected both of these ass clowns.
Conan the Grammarian at January 11, 2013 2:14 PM
I can't stand this idea. I would much rather ban all legislation on pain medication.
In my experience, doctors haven't been able to tell if I am in real pain. For instance, I was in terrible pain in the neck area after an accident. They couldn't find anything wrong, so I was not given any pain meds, just muscle relaxers. He did say that he had never seen such a stiff neck. 12 years later, a doctor noticed my straining, taut neck muscles and followed them to a - dislocated shoulder. Finally the problem was treated and the pain disappeared.
For years, I spent days bedridden from headaches.
I the other hand, I suffered a stroke. I told them that my pain level was a 2, and they gave me morphine.
After surgery, I have been both under and over treated for pain. It seems like doctor prescribe according to their values and perceptions rather than listening to patients. I can tell when I am on the right level of pain medication because I can function. Too much or too little and I am non functioning.
Jen at January 11, 2013 7:06 PM
Yes, Steve Daniels, Jersey is just a train ride away; but, please don't say that too loudly, Nanny Bloomberg might come over here!
Charles at January 12, 2013 11:42 AM
This stupid law also totally screws people with Crohn's Disease, ulcerative colitis, and other bowel disorders. These people are not able to take any NSAIDS (aspirin, Motrin, many migrane medications) because it aggravates their disease.
I have Crohn's. I keep a small supply of Vicodin around for migraines and cramps because opioids don't cause my bowels to swell shut like OTC pain relievers. I've had a bottle of 20 for six months and have used 4. Bloomberg needs to stop assuming we're all out to get high.
UW Girl at January 13, 2013 4:41 PM
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