Novus Medical Detox Center Commends FED UP! Coalition Effort To Get Feds To Release Report on Opioid Epidemic Findings
New Port Richey, FL (PRWEB) January 25, 2016 -- Every day in the United States 44 people – mostly non-Hispanic whites between the ages of 25 and 54 – die as a result of prescription opioid overdose, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nevertheless, in 2012 alone, health care providers wrote 259 million prescriptions for opioid pain relievers – enough for every American adult to have a bottle of pills. Opioid business is booming. Sales have increased by 300% over the past fifteen years, and yet there has not been an overall reduction in the amount of pain Americans report. (1)
An investigation in 2012 by the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel and MedPage Today found that behind the surge in narcotic painkiller prescriptions and subsequent substance abuse was a network of pain organizations, doctors and researchers that pushed for expanded and liberalized use of opioids while taking in millions of dollars from the companies that made the drugs. According to the report, the network helped create a body of unsubstantiated information favoring opioid use that found its way into prescription guidelines, patient literature, position statements, books and doctor education courses. (2)
Bryn Wesch, CFO of Novus Medical Detox Center, a Florida facility well known for its medicated and nutritional detox programs, has advocated for greater transparency throughout the health industry and particularly with regard to the use of risky drugs like OxyContin and other opioids. “The Novus mission is to help recover lives. Greater oversight at government level can only help steer many patients’ pain therapies to less risky solutions.”
The 2012 news article sparked an investigation by the Senate Finance Committee, calling for records and stating there was growing evidence that drug companies promoted “misleading information” about the safety and effectiveness of opioids and that nonprofits they donated to were helping spread those messages. But after 3 ½ years, there are still no findings released by this committee.
FED UP! Coalition, a grass-roots organization of individuals, organizations and doctors concerned about the overuse of prescription opioid painkillers, is calling for the immediate release of findings so corrective actions can be initiated. FED UP! works to find ways to prevent addiction to opioids and ensure that people suffering from opioid addiction have access to affordable, evidence-based treatment. (3)
Wesch says she is heartened by the FED UP! Coalition purpose. “We see the disastrous effects of opioid abuse first-hand,” Wesch said. “We’ve seen cases where opioids have been prescribed for chronic back pain when much more effective and far less risky therapy could have been applied.” She remarked that, “Transparency in the industry will allow people to make fact-based decisions about their pain therapy – and for many that means avoiding dependency in the first place.”
About Novus Medical Detox Center:
Novus Medical Detox Center is a Joint Commission Accredited inpatient medical detox facility. Novus offers safe, effective alcohol and drug treatment programs in a home-like residential setting. Located on 3.25 tree-lined acres in New Port Richey, Florida, Novus is also licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families and is known for minimizing the discomfort of withdrawal from prescription medication, drugs or alcohol by creating a customized detox program for each patient. By incorporating medication, natural supplements and fluid replenishment, Novus tailors the detox process for each patient, putting the dignity and humanity back into drug detoxification. Patients have 24/7 medical supervision, including round-the-clock nursing care and access to a withdrawal specialist, and enjoy comfortable private or shared rooms with a telephone, cable television and high-speed Internet access. Novus’ expansion is tied to their contribution to their industry and their local community, ranking number 48 on the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 2014 Fast 50 Awards list of the fastest-growing companies in Tampa Bay, and number 2,936 on the 2014 Inc. 500/5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America. For more information, visit http://www.novusdetox.com.
1. Hhs Cdc Ncipc Division Of Unintentional Injury Prevention. New CDC Opioid Prescribing Guidelines: Improving the Way Opioids Are Prescribed for Safer Chronic Pain Treatment (n.d.): n. pag. Web. cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdf/guidelines_factsheet-a.pdf
2. Dauber, John. "Side Effects | A Journal Sentinel Watchdog Report - Painkiller Boom Fueled by Networking." Side Effects | A Journal Sentinel Watchdog Report - Painkiller Boom Fueled by Networking. N.p., 18 Feb. 2012. Web. 30 Dec. 2015. jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/painkiller-boom-fueled-by-networking-dp3p2rn-139609053.html
3. "FedUp!" FedUp. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Dec. 2015. feduprally.org
Karla Jo Helms, JoTo PR, +1 (888) 202-4614 Ext: 802, [email protected]
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