In Case You Haven't Heard…

From the front lines of the prescription opioid epidemic: A friend recently had a minimally invasive lumbar microdiscectomy — the incision was smaller than a quarter. It was successful. The surgery center nurse told him: “Because there's an opioid epidemic, we'd like to ask that you try using Tylenol for the pain. If that really doesn't work, then you can take the Percocet. It's possible your surgeon will tell you something different.” What the surgeon told our friend: “Eat something and take a Percocet as soon as you get home.” The surgeon prescribed 42 Percocet to be taken “as needed.” Our friend took five the first day (the procedure was outpatient), but the next day “there just isn't enough pain to take even a Tylenol,” he said. “That leaves me with 37 Percocet. Fortunately, I don't like what people describe as the ‘euphoria’ that comes from these drugs, so I just won't take them. But for someone else, maybe 37 pills would be a good start on the path to addiction. I have no idea. No one ever asked me any questions to determine my specific risk of addiction (just that general comment from the surgical center nurse).” When he picked up his prescription, the pharmacist asked him if he had any questions. “For fun, I asked him if it was OK to take Ambien while taking Percocet. He said Percocet usually makes you drowsy, but if you're having trouble sleeping, sure go ahead. He did not mention anything about avoiding alcohol, addiction risk or anything else.” Our friend, knowing what we do (write this newsletter), gave us a full report. “It seems like no one is really required to do any assessment of the individual's risk of addiction,” he said. “To be fair, the surgeon's office did say no alcohol.” The Percocet cost to the patient, after insurance: $5.81. Percocet is oxycodone and acetaminophen.