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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

US medical schools expand training to curb painkiller abuse

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — At first, the woman tried to hide her painkiller problem. She told the doctor that she still had pain from her past pregnancy, and that she just wanted a refill on her pain medication.

After a few questions, though, she admitted that a friend had sold her some OxyContin, and that she’d stolen pills from another friend.

The interaction was all staged, with the patient played by an actor and the doctor played by a medical student last month. The exercise was part of a daylong boot camp at the University of Massachusetts Medical School designed to help physicians in training identify and fight opioid abuse.

“There’s a lot at stake here. We have a public health epidemic, and it’s not getting better, and the health care profession is part of the problem,” said Michele Pugnaire, the medical school’s senior associate dean for educational affairs.

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Better training in actual pain management is necessary. Far too many physicians write prescriptions but go little further to address pain control and minimization.

Anonymous said...

If I am in a lot of pain I go to the guy over by Giant, he has good stuff.

Anonymous said...

Hilarious.

Are the pharmaceutical companies going to stop incentivizing the doctors to over-prescribe narcotics?

I doubt it.

Is the CIA going to stop importing heroin into this country?

I doubt it.