Rising Prescription Drug Abuse in the U.S.

Expert in Opiate Dependency Comments on Recent Increase in Pain Pill Usage
by Katie Williams
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In response to an Associated Press report issued yesterday stating a “90 percent increase of prescription drug abuse in the United States,” the Waismann Method, a leading treatment facility specializing in opiate dependency, today provided additional insight into the rise of pain pill usage. According to Clare Waismann, who serves as executive director of the Waismann Method of Opiate Detoxification and has witnessed this alarming epidemic first hand, “Both patients and doctors need to take more responsibility for the problems associated with prescription painkiller abuse because they are at the root of the cause.” The official statement continues:
“Because pain medications are more and more available, it is no surprise that prescription painkiller abuse has also become more prevalent. With patients desperate to fill their prescriptions at any cost and doctors also willing to prescribe high doses of pain medication, there needs to be more internal policing by both parties. Not only should doctors take more accountability for what they prescribe to their patients, but the patients themselves need to become more responsible in following recommended dosages despite their need for instant gratification. The public needs to understand that medical use of prescription medications can result in a serious dependency,” said Waismann. “Additionally, many individuals who receive prescriptions for pain are under the false assumption that because they came from their doctors they are safe. We need to begin educating patients of the potential hazards of taking prescription medications and holding medical professions more accountable for over-prescribing.”
Waismann adds that a startling 85.5 percent of all patients assessed in the center’s 2006 Opiate Dependency Survey were treated for prescription dependency to opiates, such as morphine,  hydrocodone,  codeine  and  oxycodone, with oxycodone identified as the chemical most often prescribed/used.
The Waismann Method hopes to inform people struggling with these dependencies that there are a number of advanced treatment options available outside of traditional rehabilitation. Waismann Method is a safe and humane alternative that utilizes advanced medical practices to treat opiate dependency. The rapid detoxification procedure reverses opiate dependency while the patient is under anesthesia, therefore they do not experience any pain or withdrawal. Patients receive 24-hour care in monitored setting of a hospital intensive care unit.
“Our typical patient takes approximately four pills a day amounting to 300 mg of OxyContin, without realizing that this amount is the dangerous equivalent of 75 pills of Vicodin. Doctors need to take more time to educate their patients on dosage, and patients should ultimately ask more questions of their doctors,” said Waismann.
To coordinate an interview with Clare Waismann, please contact Katie Williams at 619-234-0345 or via email at Williams@formulapr.com. For more information please visit www.opiates.com.
 
About the Waismann Method
Drs. Clifford A. Bernstein and Michael Lowenstein use the exclusive Waismann Method of rapid detox to treat opiate dependency. Performed in a hospital intensive care unit, the Waismann Method involves cleansing the opiate receptors in the patient’s brain of the narcotics while the patient is under anesthesia. During the procedure, the patient will experience no conscious withdrawal and will be able to return home within days. 75 percent of the prescription drug dependent patients who are treated with the Waismann Method remain drug-free after one year.
 
Source: Business Wire