Also, I don’t understand what the scare is in terms of treating pain if you use appropriate agents. So, your more placebo type drug being Darvocet n-100, to tramadol (partial Mu agonist), to your hydrocodone/APAP combos, to other partial MU agonists, then to your natural opiods, and synthetic hi-potent agents like fentanyl or sufentanil.

And let’s say a patient starts asking for stronger and stronger pain medications. Well then you can make the decision to refer the patient to a neurologist or pain clinic or decide to increase the strength along the lines indicated above.

So for example if a patient was in a car accident, which is affirmed, you go ahead and prescribe a controlled drug knowing that the patient, once recovered ought to be weened off the medication and hopefully should not be dependent on it.

Duncan Cross comments from a patient perspective: “…..One of the most frustrating problems with health care in this country is the paranoia and ignorance surrounding pain and pain treatment…..”

Anyone who thinks this is not a problem in other countries is living in a dream world. The doctors go through the same problems with their own medical boards, the patients have their access problems, and prescription drug abuse is on the rise everywhere.

Those long acting medicines are better at managing pain, even “musculoskeletal pain” scoffed at below, and useful at preventing patterns of use that cause addiction.