Doctors Join The Fight to Cut Down on Addiction of Pain Pills

A group of doctors have taken a petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking for tighter restrictions on opioid drugs, including the maximum that is allowable for prescribing to non-cancer patients, that’s according to a recent article.

The doctors have taken the stance since their profession is taking heat for over-prescribing of pain pills. With the increase of abuse of the drugs and addictions, many have pointed fingers at physicians saying they are contributing to the epidemic, going as far as calling them "legalized drug dealers."

The doctors group who is seeking the change is asking the FDA to not allow the drug companies to market so widely to medical professionals whose patients are not being treated for cancer. They are also requesting that a maximum dosing limit be placed on all drugs of this type.

There is also concern that there may not be enough information out there for doctors to understand the long term effects of prescribing pain pills to patients. There are limited studies that follow such patients beyond three months, so doctors readily believe that pain pills are safe to take for an extended time.

After an extended amount of time, addiction often sets in or the drugs have been prescribed in such quantity they are left to be abused by others who do not even have a prescription written for them.

This is a first step for doctors to join in the fight to cut down on the plague that has evolved from pain pill use.