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SALT LAKE CITY — Pharmacists and doctors are on the front lines of the battle against prescription drug abuse, but to win the war patients also need to step up.
"We as patients need to step up and have a conversation with them," said Craig PoVey with the Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. "We need to ask them is this medication or is this prescription got the potential to be addicting?"
PoVey said most people don't understand that dependence can develop within seven days of taking opioids.
"There are many, so many over-the-counter options that we can take and not even have to take an opioid-based pain pill," explained PoVey.
PoVey knows from experience just how well over-the-counter pain relievers work. A bike accident in July left him with extensive injuries.
"I had a blown-out knee, blown-out shoulder, head injury, scapula injury," recalled PoVey.
The doctor prescribed enough painkillers to last through the weekend until PoVey could meet with his surgeon on Monday — but that appointment was delayed.
"I had no opioid-based pain medications come Monday and I remembered this webinar where we learned two acetaminophen and two ibuprofen is what you can do as an alternative. So I tried it and I never took an opiate after that," he said.
Will Ferguson's medicine cabinet is void of any narcotic painkillers. Except for TV, he now shies away from participating in sports for fear of getting hurt and facing that temptation of even needing a prescribed pain pill. Ferguson battled addiction for decades and even served prison time for prescription fraud.
He took his first prescription drug for an injury and couldn't stop taking them.
"Probably 100 to 120 pills a day. Lortabs, percocets, I would take like 10 every hour," said Ferguson.
He supports newer restriction on those who dispense painkillers.
"If I could go around and just go up to a pharmacist every day and say, 'Listen, I'm just here to let you know this is what's going to happen,'" Ferguson said.
PoVey meets with doctors regularly and said he is encouraged by the changes they are making.
"I can tell you now that the medical field is stepping up and I've been in a couple of events where they've shown that they want to do things differently," he explained.
But the other piece of the equation to preventing drug abuse is proper disposal of old prescriptions.
PoVey said 75 percent of the people who are misusing drugs are getting them from a family or friend.
Prescription drug collection sites are located at pharmacies, hospitals and law enforcement agencies around the state. Click here to find the nearest location.
Health officials suggest asking your doctor five opioid questions:
Am I at risk for addiction?
Is there something else that may work better?
How long will I be taking them?
Are you prescribing the lowest possible dose?
What’s the plan to taper me off?
