Oct. 17, 2012
With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting an estimated 15,000 deaths each year as a result of an overdose of opioid medications, with hundreds in Colorado, the state government is beginning to take steps to battle this rapidly growing problem.
Colorado has a registry system in place to prevent patients from being overprescribed medications with the potential for abuse and dependency. The Denver Post reports that Drug Enforcement Administration officials in the Colorado area have data showing that as few as 10 to 15 percent of doctors and pharmacies check the registry before dispensing narcotic medications, like Oxycodone.
The growing number of Colorado Drug Injuries being associated with these medications has caused the government to begin implementing changes to the law aimed at educating and treating those who dispense and consume opioid medications. One major change was directing those who are caught abusing opioid medications to treatment facilities rather than prison.
Many experts believe educating doctors about guidelines and establishing standards for such prescriptions is the only way this epidemic of drug injuries can be beat. In an effort to do so, the Colorado Medical Society has recognized an upcoming pain seminar as “continued medical education”.
The Colorado Personal Injury Lawyers with McDivitt Law Firm are hopeful these recent changes will be effective in better protecting the citizens of Colorado from drug injuries associated with opioid pain medications.