01 July, 2009

Thanks, Feds!

Yes, because banning prescription pain pills that actually WORK for people with chronic pain/illness due to concerns surrounding "liver damage" totally makes sense.

Why not just ban acetaminophen as a whole, instead of JUST Percoset and Vicodin only because they contain that ingredient? I hate to say it, but acetaminophen/Tylenol does not do jack for me. I take Vicodin when my pain is really unbearable because of the other stuff contained in the pill.

I agree with this, however: “If you keep track of what you’re taking, none of this is an issue for you,” Dr. Jan Engle, a panel member and head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Illinois in Chicago, said in an interview after the meeting.

It's too bad that the rest of the committee apparently chose to not consider that aspect. Not everyone is going to overdose on these pills, or take a particularly high or life-threatening dose. I don't want to sound like I do not have compassion for those who do overdose accidentally, but banning these medications outright--instead of educating folks about correct dosages, and treating those who do have serious addictions--seems rather short-sighted.