Why are Australians being denied legitimate painrelief?

[Methusala]

I wonder why the Federal govt is using a slanted argument to phase out codeine based analgesics. ABC's 730 last night ran a piece reporting on the withdrawal of doctor's freedom to prescribe codeine based analgesics that trade as Panadeine Forte etc. A federal bureaucrat, Prof. Brendan Murphy, claimed, against widely accepted anecdotal evidence, that codeine was ineffective in pain control. He said that opioid related overdoses were killing thousands of Australians each year. What was not spelled out was the percentage of opioid related overdoses due to codeine based medications. I know of a case of death related to overdose of prescribed Endone, a drug which in the US is sold as Fentanyl. I've heard of people having Endone parties and I was recently handed a swatch of 10 Oxycontin tablets following a tooth extraction. Meanwhile, people are suffering un-endurable pain after being dumped off their regular codeine medication. My GP has "drunk the cool-aid", on this subject, believing that codeine is the culprit. Why aren't these other synthetic opioids receiving similar bad press to codeine?

 

 

[spacesailor]

Because the Upper-class want you to pay exorbitant dollars for Australian  surgery !.

 

If you can't afford it, mortgage your house, & sell your offspring.

 

I take PanadolOsteo, dailly, Endone when the pain is making me fall over, then a biggie,  TRAMEL 50, It takes me three days to get over using it.

 

Then before bed it's the  old standby VALIUM, to put me to sleep.

 

And a week last friday I went to Auburn hospital, were TWO Dr's twisted & pulled at my leg, Iv'd been in agony ever since & then said " You'l have to have an Operation".

 

AArsOOlse!.

 

Getting me down (just what they want) No wonder people take the Easy way out.

 

Big family reunion in November, Just hope I can make it.

 

spaesailor

 

 

[Methusala]

And just today, Johnson & Johnson (manufacturers of Fentanyl, in Australia sold as Endone) have suffered an adverse judgement in the USA, to the tune of over $844m. as, " A judge dubs a pharmaceutical company's marketing campaign as "misleading and aggressive" and responsible for an "epidemic" of addiction in the US state of Oklahoma." (ABC News)

 

Meanwhile, on SBS news, another story on overuse of prescription medicines reportedly resulting in thousands of deaths through inadvertent overdose. Again, NO MENTION of codeine products. In fact a packet of Endone is displayed. Yet the Government continues to deny patients the use of codeine. Where is the statistical evidence. I have no quarrel with legitimate prescribing of Endone, Oxycontin or other drugs but why make codeine, which has been available for years, the focus of publicity. Reminds me of another case where Pethadine  was also removed from the lists because it was considered "dangerous".  Do they care that removal of codeine could very easily lead to suicide as intractable pain is left untreated.

 

 

[facthunter]

 Judges should deal with LAW and not matters of social philosophy etc. IF the Doctors are getting kick backs that's corruption. There's no suggestion of this as far as I know. Even the poppy growers in Tassie are affected by this one and that';s nothing to do with legality. Nev

 

 

[spacesailor]

The "Kick-back" is being forced to pay Their fee's , Drug company's have always put their price at premium level, Knowing their customers pay or suffer, then die.

 

Thats the reason Panadol is targeted, It takes away the suffering & delays any surgery, Dental included.

 

How many of us have popped a panadol when having toothache .

 

spacesailor