One Nation, Under Sedation: Medicare and Tranquilizer Prescriptions

Very disturbing news article...

 

"Some doctors who ranked among Medicare’s top prescribers of the drugs said any risks were outweighed by their benefits.

 

Fall River, Mass., psychiatrist Claude Curran wrote more than 11,700 prescriptions for benzodiazepines (including refills) in 2013, ranking him behind only four other doctors, all from Puerto Rico. He said the drugs worked well for his patients, many of whom are trying to kick addictions to narcotics but struggle with anxiety and depression.

 

'First of all, they’re reliable,' he said. 'Second of all, they’re cheap because they’re all generic … They tickle the brain in the same way alcohol does.'"

 

Read more here:

 

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/one-nation-under-sedation-medicare-paid-for-nearly-40-million-tranquilizer-prescriptions-in-2013/ar-BBkVitu?ocid=ansnewsNYDailyNews11#page=1

 

 

Thanks for posting this, TexanMike. Deeply disturbing news indeed...

Very good article.  Shocking. How do we get the doctors under control?

Very disturbing news article...

 

"Some doctors who ranked among Medicare’s top prescribers of the drugs said any risks were outweighed by their benefits.

 

Fall River, Mass., psychiatrist Claude Curran wrote more than 11,700 prescriptions for benzodiazepines (including refills) in 2013, ranking him behind only four other doctors, all from Puerto Rico. He said the drugs worked well for his patients, many of whom are trying to kick addictions to narcotics but struggle with anxiety and depression.

 

'First of all, they’re reliable,' he said. 'Second of all, they’re cheap because they’re all generic … They tickle the brain in the same way alcohol does.'"

 

Read more here:

 

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/one-nation-under-sedation-medicare-paid-for-nearly-40-million-tranquilizer-prescriptions-in-2013/ar-BBkVitu?ocid=ansnewsNYDailyNews11#page=1

 

 

 

Bad news indeed, thanks for sharing Mike.

ARgh! When will they learn? What will have to happen? Does a Kennedy or someone else super famous (apparently Stevie Nicks wasn't enough) have to go through wd and publicize it?

FROM THE LINK:

 

"But doctors didn’t stop prescribing the drugs to Medicare enrollees. Patients just found other ways to pay for them. When Congress later reversed the payment policy under pressure from patient groups and medical societies, it swiftly became clear that a huge swath of Medicare’s patients were already using the drugs despite the lack of coverage."