Florida Elder Care Alert: Fort Lauderdale, Broward & Palm Beach County Pain Clinics Scrutinized
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that pain management clinics in Fort Lauderdale and Broward and Palm Beach Counties are under scrutiny for potential illegal activity surrounding distribution of prescription pain medications.
The report states that 130 pain clinics are in operation in South Florida -- 70 of which have opened in Broward County and Palm Beach County since January 2008. Of those 70, the report found that 48 clinics are owned by investors and not physicians. Police are stepping up efforts to examine activities at some clinics, which are under suspicion for taking part in the illegal sale of OxyContin and other painkillers as street drugs.
Doctors are pushing for a bill that would enable the state of Florida with more power to regulate investor-operated pain management clinics. The Sun-Sentinel reports that some pain clinics are offering gift cards and cash rewards for patients who refer other patients to the clinics.
A Florida personal injury attorney assists families in cases where an overprescription of drugs leads to physical injury, brain damage or wrongful death. In this case, the Sun-Sentinel learned that of the physicians staffing these pain management clinics under scrutiny, 14 had been disciplined for overprescribing drugs. The report also stated that more than 4,000 Floridians died from prescription drug overdoses in 2008 -- up 20 percent from 2007. Of the top 50 U.S. clinics known for dispensing OxyContin, are all in Florida -- with Broward County hosting 33 of them.
Nursing Home Medication Errors
Seniors who are trying to manage chronic pain due to arthritis and a host of other conditions are vulnerable to being given the wrong medication or too much medication, causing an estimated 800,000 "adverse drug reactions" every year. (Gurwitz, et al., Incidence and preventability of adverse drug events in nursing homes, The American Journal of Medicine, Aug. 1, 2000.) Nursing home medication errors is a concern for families who've placed their parents or grandparents in a long-term care facility and depend on nursing home staff to dispense medications and keep their loved ones safe.
South Florida pain centers that promote pill trade face scrutiny
SunSentinel.com April 7, 2009
Related Web Resource
AARP:Your Guide to Choosing a Long-Acting Opioid Analgesic for Chronic Pain
