Pubdate: Sat, 24 Nov 2001
Source: Roanoke Times (VA)
Copyright: 2001 Roanoke Times
Contact:  http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/368
Author: Sarah Colgan
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?186 (Oxycontin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?135 (Drug Education)

OXYCONTIN IS WONDERFUL WHEN USED CORRECTLY

AS A health care professional, I would be remiss if I didn't express my 
views after following your reporting of OxyContin and the "crisis" that 
surrounds its abuse.

OxyContin is a wonderful addition to the arsenal of legitimate pain 
management, especially for the terminally ill. No cases of death attributed 
to the oral administration in normally prescribed doses have been reported.

I believe the problems lie in the illegitimate prescribing and abuse of 
OxyContin. These are the same age-old problems we have attempted to deal 
with in the health care field. When there is a way to get "high," people 
prone to that behavior will find it.

Withdrawing the product or tying the hands of the manufacturer will not 
solve the issues. Public education is the only way to reduce the problems.

It seems strange to me that the initial problems arose in Southwest 
Virginia and in rural Maine. Is it possible that health care professionals 
in those areas need to be scrutinized closer? Could the board of health 
professions be missing something?

I request that the editor of this newspaper review future OxyContin 
articles, looking for public education rather than hysteria.

SARAH COLGAN, BEDFORD
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MAP posted-by: Jackl