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Prescription pain meds in sports

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An NFL player might start out using opiates for a specific injury, but many continue to rely in them long after the serious pain of that injury subsides. They get another ding, pop a pill. They aggravate the initial injury, take a pill or a shot to get through the second half.

 

There are more than a few veterans and retired players who use them just to make it through the day.

 

In fact, this article says they're 4 times more likely to abuse opiates than the general public.

 

http://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=110128/painkillersnews

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My primary doctor as well as neurologist would disagree. :dunno:

Sometimes when doctors find no other plausible reason for a symptom, they tell patients what they want to hear, or just guess something that can never be proven or disproven. Every time your doctor attributes something to stress, they are doing this. Same goes for telling patients they have a viral infection most of the time, unless a discrete type of virus (like influenza or HIV) has actually been isolated. Your symptoms may be part of a post-concussive syndrome, but there is no way to confirm or refute that diagnosis. But it is just as likely, if not more so, that you just have unexplained dizzyness and headaches, because those symptoms are very common regardless.

 

Of course you aren't going to believe some internet quack over your doctors, but ask them the next time you see them how they are sure your symptoms are attributable to the injury you sustained as a child. Better yet, ask them how they know you don't have run-of-the mill migraines. I'll wager they won't have a good answer for either question.

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Kid I know, great kid, popular kid, got into a car accident, focked up his back.

 

Dr prescribed him oxycontin for the pain. (which is supposed to be for people dying of cancer)

 

Wasn't 2 years before he was doing heroin. Lost his job and his family, moved away.

 

How did he get his life back on track?

 

He got busted for Armed robbery of a convenient store.

 

Had no record. Spent like 5 years in the slammer.

 

Got his sh1t together in prison and kept it rolling once he got out.

All is well now.

 

Pain meds are very bad and 9 out of 10 times lead to heroin

That is a terrible story, but narcotic use for pain does not lead to addiction the vast majority of the time, and certainly not heroin. Think of all the people you know who have ever used narcotics, and all the addicts. No where near 90% end up abusing drugs. It takes a combination of excessive pain med access/use and addictive neurobiology to end up on that path. While it's true doctors prescribe narcs too often and we have a crisis of abuse, most pain meds are still helpful for their intended purpose: treating pain.

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Yea but who you gonna trust? A real doctor? Pfft. Or an Internet doctor who downplays the proven affects of weed yet has never tried it once and who boycotts smart phones even though they have been the norm for a decade and are an invaluable and convenient information tool.

I've read the best evidence for medical marijuana, and even posted it here. The science is still evolving, and my personal lack of recreational drug use is irrelevant in the discussion. Do you think heroin is bad even though you've never used it? How do you know?

 

And I'm not boycotting smart phones.

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An NFL player might start out using opiates for a specific injury, but many continue to rely in them long after the serious pain of that injury subsides. They get another ding, pop a pill. They aggravate the initial injury, take a pill or a shot to get through the second half.

There are more than a few veterans and retired players who use them just to make it through the day.

In fact, this article says they're 4 times more likely to abuse opiates than the general public.

http://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=110128/painkillersnews

Sure. No one is denying pain med abuse is a problem in the NFL and elsewhere. We are debating the extent of the problem, the involvement of pharmaceutical companies in promoting their use, and whether a suitable alternative (MJ) for the treatment for acute and chronic pain exists.

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Sure. No one is denying pain med abuse is a problem in the NFL and elsewhere. We are debating the extent of the problem, the involvement of pharmaceutical companies in promoting their use, and whether a suitable alternative (MJ) for the treatment for acute and chronic pain exists.

This article speaks directly to the extent of the problem doesn't it?

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Sometimes when doctors find no other plausible reason for a symptom, they tell patients what they want to hear, or just guess something that can never be proven or disproven. Every time your doctor attributes something to stress, they are doing this. Same goes for telling patients they have a viral infection most of the time, unless a discrete type of virus (like influenza or HIV) has actually been isolated. Your symptoms may be part of a post-concussive syndrome following your head trauma, but there is no way to confirm or refute that diagnosis. But it is just as likely, if not more so, that you just have unexplained dizzyness and headaches, because those symptoms are very common regardless. And a large percentage of the time, no underlying cause is determined.

 

Of course you aren't going to believe some internet quack over your doctors, but ask them the next time you see them how they are sure your symptoms are attributable to the injury you had as a child. Better yet, ask them how they know you don't have run-of-the mill migraines. I'll wager they won't have a good answer for either question.

 

There are numerous peer-reviewed studies that have proven that an occurrence of TBI often results in headaches/migraines/dizziness symptoms.

 

I've used nine-item and 17 item screeners for TBI that have signaled my symptoms are a result of that injury.

 

 

 

 

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Sure. No one is denying pain med abuse is a problem in the NFL and elsewhere. We are debating the extent of the problem, the involvement of pharmaceutical companies in promoting their use, and whether a suitable alternative (MJ) for the treatment for acute and chronic pain exists.

So NFL team doctors and medical staffs are immune to lobbying from big pharma?

 

We're all aware of how the drug companies can court certain doctors under normal circumstances.

 

Do you really believe their hands are clean when it comes to pro sports and all those potential clients?

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/early-lead/wp/2016/07/06/calvin-johnson-says-painkillers-were-handed-out-like-candy-to-nfl-players/

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So NFL team doctors and medical staffs are immune to lobbying from big pharma?

 

We're all aware of how the drug companies can court certain doctors under normal circumstances.

 

Do you really believe their hands are clean when it comes to pro sports and all those potential clients?

This is a league that has been investigated by the DEA with their shady dealings with pharma. Anything and everything to get what they need, they'll do. https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/the-suppliers-of-the-nfls-painkiller-addiction

 

And when approximately 15% of players that misused opioids during their playing career continue to do so afterwards, any alternative medicine that can reduce this usage is necessary.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/pain-and-pain-management-in-nfl-spawn-a-culture-of-prescription-drug-use-and-abuse/2013/04/13/3b36f4de-a1e9-11e2-bd52-614156372695_story.html?utm_term=.996fc076321f

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I've read the best evidence for medical marijuana, and even posted it here. The science is still evolving, and my personal lack of recreational drug use is irrelevant in the discussion. Do you think heroin is bad even though you've never used it? How do you know?

And I'm not boycotting smart phones.

Bad analogy. How do I know heroin is bad despite never trying it? Common knowledge, that's how. Same as how I know a million bucks exists despite never seen it personally.

 

Evidence for medical marijuana? It ain't a theory, it's proven. Like dudes have used it to help a variety of ailments. As in its actually happened and it works. That's also common knowledge. Same as how I know a ghost pepper is hot despite never eating one.

 

Also the point about "oh well doctors will tell you anything and just lie and say some convenient catch all diagnosis.". Ok fair enough but what makes YOU saying otherwise more relevant?

 

You are close to being at the point where we need to see a medical license or be able to look it up, which is available to the public I think (not sure). Any rebuttal of "I don't need to prove anything to you or show anything." Will be looked at as shady and further discredit you. I personally lean towards you being legit, but it's on thin ice is all I'm saying.

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There are numerous peer-reviewed studies that have proven that an occurrence of TBI often results in headaches/migraines/dizziness symptoms.

I've used nine-item and 17 item screeners for TBI that have signaled my symptoms are a result of that injury.

 

You performed those questionnaires at the time of your injury? To which peer-reviewed study(ies) are you referring?

 

While dizziness and headaches often follow TBI, the cause of the symptoms remain poorly understood. I'm assuming you never had them before your injury, and they clearly started after the trauma?

 

Actually none of those questions matter, because it won't change the way you are treated. If medical MJ works, more power to you. But don't assume that means it will work for all the pain experienced by NFL players, even that due to TBI.

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Bad analogy. How do I know heroin is bad despite never trying it? Common knowledge, that's how. Same as how I know a million bucks exists despite never seen it personally.

Evidence for medical marijuana? It ain't a theory, it's proven. Like dudes have used it to help a variety of ailments. As in its actually happened and it works. That's also common knowledge. Same as how I know a ghost pepper is hot despite never eating one.

Also the point about "oh well doctors will tell you anything and just lie and say some convenient catch all diagnosis.". Ok fair enough but what makes YOU saying otherwise more relevant?

You are close to being at the point where we need to see a medical license or be able to look it up, which is available to the public I think (not sure). Any rebuttal of "I don't need to prove anything to you or show anything." Will be looked at as shady and further discredit you. I personally lean towards you being legit, but it's on thin ice is all I'm saying.

"Common knowledge" doesn't cut it, as widely held perceptions are frequently incorrect or unsubstantiated. The only metrics for appropriate medical care are clinical research and experience by trained professionals. This isn't too say there aren't alternative medical therapies which work, but to assume they are effective because you know a few people who did well using them does not constitute adequate proof.

 

I didn't say doctors lie about diagnoses either; there are just many symptoms/conditions for which a discrete diagnosis cannot be made. Often doctors rely on best guess, vague explanations in these scenarios, employing "waste basket" diagnoses like attributing symptoms to stress or a nameless virus. Post-concussive symptoms fall in this category as well. Since headaches and dizziness are very common in the general population regardless, the likelihood of experiencing them is high even in the absence of head trauma.

 

There really is no way to know if TBI lead to giraldis symptoms, and playing the odds, I'm just taking my best guess given the evidence presented. Of course I don't have all the data his docs do, but chances are they don't have a discrete structural abnormality or lab test to explain his symptoms either. But it really doesn't matter in the end, because neither my nor their opinions will change his treatment or prognosis. He'll get pain meds any way you cut it, and he seems to prefer medical MJ.

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So NFL team doctors and medical staffs are immune to lobbying from big pharma?

We're all aware of how the drug companies can court certain doctors under normal circumstances.

Do you really believe their hands are clean when it comes to pro sports and all those potential clients?https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/early-lead/wp/2016/07/06/calvin-johnson-says-painkillers-were-handed-out-like-candy-to-nfl-players/

Of course they aren't. But to clarify, what exactly do you propose is happening? Do you think pharmaceutical companies are approaching NFL team leadership or physicians and trying to influence them to prescribe more narcotic pain meds for financial gain?

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Like I said, you dole out near daily medical opinion here and we deserve to be able to look up your medical license. I said I wasn't sure if we can do that, but that was a test. I know for a FACT that the public can look up licenses and has a right to do so. I am going to need to see yours otherwise you are officially a fake doctor on here.

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This article speaks directly to the extent of the problem doesn't it?

It does and it doesn't. A certain percentage of people prescribed narcotic analgesics will become addicted, the likelihood of which increases with exposure. NFL players, who would be expected to experience more pain (and more pain meds) than the average Joe, will likely have higher rates of addiction than the general population.

 

The questions are: 1. Can we adequately prevent or treat their pain with non-narcotic modalities?

2. What % of pain meds are prescribed unnecessarily, and how often do these prescriptions result in addiction?

3. Why are the unnecessary prescriptions being written?

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Of course they aren't. But to clarify, what exactly do you propose is happening? Do you think pharmaceutical companies are approaching NFL team leadership or physicians and trying to influence them to prescribe more narcotic pain meds for financial gain?

I suspect it starts with a pervasive "Get them on the field by any means necessary" attitude by team ownership and trickles down from there.

 

Beyond that, I question how the never ending supply of pills gets into the hands of team doctors. It's been stated by many former players that these things were made available to them with or without a prescription. How does that happen without an endless supply at the ready?

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It does and it doesn't. A certain percentage of people prescribed narcotic analgesics will become addicted, the likelihood of which increases with exposure. NFL players, who would be expected to experience more pain (and more pain meds) than the average Joe, will likely have higher rates of addiction than the general population.

The questions are: 1. Can we adequately prevent or treat their pain with non-narcotic modalities?

2. What % of pain meds are prescribed unnecessarily, and how often do these prescriptions result in addiction?

3. Why are the unnecessary prescriptions being written?

I don't think we can treat pain as well without pain meds. Not with weed or anything else, pain meds are the best option. There is risk for addiction but they handle that in house and it's a necessary evil if you want to control pain in a sport where everyone is usually in pain.

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Like I said, you dole out near daily medical opinion here and we deserve to be able to look up your medical license. I said I wasn't sure if we can do that, but that was a test. I know for a FACT that the public can look up licenses and has a right to do so. I am going to need to see yours otherwise you are officially a fake doctor on here.

Of course you can look up my license. But what value would I derive from you reviewing my credentials? What potential harm could result from exposing my personal information to a lightly trafficked message bored?

 

The answer is I don't need your validation. Just as giraldi probably won't care to prove his TBI symptoms any further to a group of near-anonymous dudes with time to kill. Feel free to classify me with Dgb, and seek your medical advice elsewhere.

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I suspect it starts with a pervasive "Get them on the field by any means necessary" attitude by team ownership and trickles down from there.

Beyond that, I question how the never ending supply of pills gets into the hands of team doctors. It's been stated by many former players that these things were made available to them with or without a prescription. How does that happen without an endless supply at the ready?

Absolutely, which is why I stated the game itself will need to change to get a handle on narc abuse. And I'm sure the meds are readily available, as any clinician expected to treat severe pain would have plenty of narcotics at their disposal. Providing them without a prescription over time is shady, of course, but I still don't think pharmaceutical companies are masterminding a conspiracy to overprescribe. More likely, there is pressure to keep playing, from management and the players themselves, which promotes rapid pain relief that narcotics can provide, without worrying about the downstream consequences.

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I don't think we can treat pain as well without pain meds. Not with weed or anything else, pain meds are the best option. There is risk for addiction but they handle that in house and it's a necessary evil if you want to control pain in a sport where everyone is usually in pain.

This is the most relevant thing youve posted in this thread. I'm gonna need to see your credentials before I'll provide a thumbs up though.

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The answer is I don't need you validation.

Predictable, but fair enough. Just as I warned, this response is only looked at negatively. Your credibility here is now in question. Wether you think so or not, everyone reading this agrees with me. Wether you admit it or not, that matters to you.

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Absolutely, which is why I stated the game itself will need to change to get a handle on narc abuse. And I'm sure the meds are readily available, as any clinician expected to treat severe pain would have plenty of narcotics at their disposal. Providing them without a prescription over time is shady, of course, but I still don't think pharmaceutical companies are masterminding a conspiracy to overprescribe. More likely, there is pressure to keep playing, from management and the players themselves, which promotes rapid pain relief that narcotics can provide, without worrying about the downstream consequences.

Does a private practice joint and bone doc keep enough oxy on hand at any given time to keep 25-30 guys supplied well enough to go to work for 6 months straight?

 

Or, would he typically just write a script with limited refills on as as needed basis?

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Does a private practice joint and bone doc keep enough oxy on hand at any given time to keep 25-30 guys supplied well enough to go to work for 6 months straight?

Or, would he typically just write a script with limited refills on as as needed basis?

you planning to to rob one?

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Predictable, but fair enough. Just as I warned, this response is only looked at negatively. Your credibility here is now in question. Wether you think so or not, everyone reading this agrees with me. Wether you admit it or not, that matters to you.

I'll be sure to keep this in mind before my next post. Keeping my fingers crossed that we can remain internet pals.

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Does a private practice joint and bone doc keep enough oxy on hand at any given time to keep 25-30 guys supplied well enough to go to work for 6 months straight?

Or, would he typically just write a script with limited refills on as as needed basis?

This isn't just any private practice doc. I don't know how the med dispensing goes, but I wouldn't be surprised if teams had the equivalent of a small pharmacy on hand, and some probably employ pharmacists. I was an expedition doc once, and was able to obtain enough meds for our entire team, more than would typically be prescribed to an individual. But I doubt any one doctor has the amount of narcotics on hand you suggest.

 

Typically narcotics are written in finite amounts with limited refills, but it isn't difficult to keep writing additional prescriptions.

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Narcotics themselves are being cracked down on from the federal level. It's getting harder and harder to obtain them. For the normal citizen at least. If you're famous person, say an athlete, then getting them is no problem. Money talks wherever you are and they will always have access to them. Especially in a sport known for causing injuries during every game. Those types of things will get overlooked cause they are "for helping the player through the intense pain they receive from such a physical sport". I can't say for certain that NFL team doctors don't have narcotics on hand cause I don't know how the NFL works. But I can say that in the private sector (as well as the military) you can't get refills on controlled substances without going in to see the doctor. The most you can get for a controlled substance is a 3 months supply but typically they will only do a months supply. You also have to sign a pain contract and give urine samples to prove you're actually taking the medication. Now the NFL is a whole different beast in that they can skirt the laws cause of their influence. So unless someone is actually selling controlled substances in mass quantities to people other than the players then I highly doubt any law enforcement agency will even look their way.

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Believe it or not but I had a pill problem as a teenager.

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This isn't just any private practice doc. I don't know how the med dispensing goes, but I wouldn't be surprised if teams had the equivalent of a small pharmacy on hand, and some probably employ pharmacists. I was an expedition doc once, and was able to obtain enough meds for our entire team, more than would typically be prescribed to an individual. But I doubt any one doctor has the amount of narcotics on hand you suggest.

 

Typically narcotics are written in finite amounts with limited refills, but it isn't difficult to keep writing additional prescriptions.

I thought all those controlled substances were actually, ummmm..controlled?

 

You mentioned that exposure has an impact on abuse. I contend that NFL players are needlessly over exposed to narcotics by the team ownership, management and physicians.

 

And their "patients" don't appear to be subject to the normal procedures for prescriptions.

 

I suppose there are some middleman pharmacists that actually supply the docs, and maybe that's where the the big problems are. If that's the case, there's still a drug rep somewhere along the line supplying that pharmacist with greater quantities than the average corner drug store.

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I thought all those controlled substances were actually, ummmm..controlled?

You mentioned that exposure has an impact on abuse. I contend that NFL players are needlessly over exposed to narcotics by the team ownership, management and physicians.

And their "patients" don't appear to be subject to the normal procedures for prescriptions.

I suppose there are some middleman pharmacists that actually supply the docs, and maybe that's where the the big problems are. If that's the case, there's still a drug rep somewhere along the line supplying that pharmacist with greater quantities than the average corner drug store.

They are controlled - you need a DEA and often state narcotics license to prescribe them. Periodically you submit an inventory of your narcotic prescriptions to the licensing agencies. Some states have centralized registries for all controlled substance prescriptions as well.

 

I contend the NFL is a rough game, perhaps needlessly so. This results in a lot of pain, which is only exacerbated by the demands on the players. Doctors provide narcotics because they work for many types of pain. Unfortunately, this carries a risk of abuse/addiction with repeated use. Assuming the NFL doesn't change the rules, how do you propose physicians treat the inevitable pain associated with the game?

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They are controlled - you need a DEA and often state narcotics license to prescribe them. Periodically you submit an inventory of your narcotic prescriptions to the liscensing agencies. Some states have centralized registries for all controlled substance prescriptions as well.

I contend the NFL is a rough game, perhaps needlessly so. This results in a lot of pain, which is only exacerbated by the demands on the players. Doctors provide narcotics because they work for many types of pain. Unfortunately, this carries a risk of abuse/addiction with repeated use. Assuming the NFL doesn't change the rules, how do you propose physicians treat the inevitable pain associated with the game?

I'd say if the pain is so severe a narcotic is routinely needed time off is what is warranted. Not a masking agent.

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They are controlled - you need a DEA and often state narcotics license to prescribe them. Periodically you submit an inventory of your narcotic prescriptions to the liscensing agencies. Some states have centralized registries for all controlled substance prescriptions as well.

 

I contend the NFL is a rough game, perhaps needlessly so. This results in a lot of pain, which is only exacerbated by the demands on the players. Doctors provide narcotics because they work for many types of pain. Unfortunately, this carries a risk of abuse/addiction with repeated use. Assuming the NFL doesn't change the rules, how do you propose physicians treat the inevitable pain associated with the game?

All parties should be working together to prescribe only what is truly needed. The pills and shots shouldnt be flying around a team facility as freely as they appear to be.

 

So take distribution out of their hands. Issue individual prescriptions for narcs that must be filled through normal channels.

 

Possibly involve independent docs for diagnosis and repeated refills for chronic conditions.

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I'd say if the pain is so severe a narcotic is routinely needed time off is what is warranted. Not a masking agent.

You may be right (except the masking nonsense), but I bet a big percentage of players would be taking time off if narcotic use was your only criteria. If you have a toothache, you can take narcotics and still work at most jobs (not operating heavy machinery, performing surgery, etc.). Why should the NFL be any different?

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All parties should be working together to prescribe only what is truly needed. The pills and shots shouldnt be flying around a team facility as freely as they appear to be.

So take distribution out of their hands. Issue individual prescriptions for narcs that must be filled through normal channels.

Possibly involve independent docs for diagnosis and repeated refills for chronic conditions.

Of course. And I have no problem with utilizing normal prescribing practices - to be clear, I'm not sure NFL doctors aren't already doing so. An independent pain specialist verifying the need for chronic narcotic use is a good idea.

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Of course. And I have no problem with utilizing normal prescribing practices - to be clear, I'm not sure NFL doctors aren't already doing so. An independent pain specialist verifying the need for chronic narcotic use is a good idea.

Of course the NFL denies this, but here are some highlights from this article:

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/sports/redskins/nfl-abuse-of-painkillers-and-other-drugs-described-in-court-filings/2017/03/09/be1a71d8-035a-11e7-ad5b-d22680e18d10_story.html

 

The filing, which was prepared by lawyers for the players suing the league, asserts that every doctor deposed so far . . . has testified that they violated one or more federal drug laws and regulations while serving in their capacity as a team doctor. Anthony Yates, the Pittsburgh Steelers team doctor and past president of the NFL Physicians Society, testified in a deposition that a majority of clubs as of 2010 had trainers controlling and handling prescription medications and controlled substances when they should not have, the filing states.

 

At times, team medical staff displayed a cavalier attitude toward federal guidelines that govern dispensing medicine. In August 2009, for example, Paul Sparling, the Cincinnati Bengals head trainer, wrote in an email: Can you have your office fax a copy of your DEA certificate to me? I need it for my records when the NFL pill counters come to see if we are doing things right. Dont worry, Im pretty good at keeping them off the trail!

 

 

The court filing reveals that the teams dispensed painkillers and prescription-strength anti-inflammatories in numbers far beyond anything previously acknowledged or made public. In the calendar year of 2012, for example, the average team prescribed nearly 5,777 doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and 2,213 doses of controlled medications to its players, according to a March 2013 internal document from Lawrence Brown, the NFL-employed medical adviser who oversees its drug issues.

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Narcotics themselves are being cracked down on from the federal level. It's getting harder and harder to obtain them.

 

:huh:

 

the war on drugs is going on 30+ years. ain't sh1t hard to find when you know the right people.

 

if you think for one second a junkie ain't going to find heroin, that's crazy talk. Think they'd rather be sick and shivering? Only way to is prison/rehab

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:huh:

 

the war on drugs is going on 30+ years. ain't sh1t hard to find when you know the right people.

 

if you think for one second a junkie ain't going to find heroin, that's crazy talk. Think they'd rather be sick and shivering? Only way to is prison/rehab

Different type of drug. Controlled substances are legal so unless someone is shipping mass quantities to put out on the streets they are a separate category here. Years ago a physician could prescribe controlled substances essentially however they wanted. Now, there are many regulations that have been put into place and the government is cracking down on how much and how often doctors prescribe controlled substances. Many have lost their license because of this.

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I'd say if the pain is so severe a narcotic is routinely needed time off is what is warranted. Not a masking agent.

This.

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Of course the NFL denies this, but here are some highlights from this article:https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/sports/redskins/nfl-abuse-of-painkillers-and-other-drugs-described-in-court-filings/2017/03/09/be1a71d8-035a-11e7-ad5b-d22680e18d10_story.html

The filing, which was prepared by lawyers for the players suing the league, asserts that every doctor deposed so far . . . has testified that they violated one or more federal drug laws and regulations while serving in their capacity as a team doctor. Anthony Yates, the Pittsburgh Steelers team doctor and past president of the NFL Physicians Society, testified in a deposition that a majority of clubs as of 2010 had trainers controlling and handling prescription medications and controlled substances when they should not have, the filing states.

At times, team medical staff displayed a cavalier attitude toward federal guidelines that govern dispensing medicine. In August 2009, for example, Paul Sparling, the Cincinnati Bengals head trainer, wrote in an email: Can you have your office fax a copy of your DEA certificate to me? I need it for my records when the NFL pill counters come to see if we are doing things right. Dont worry, Im pretty good at keeping them off the trail!

The court filing reveals that the teams dispensed painkillers and prescription-strength anti-inflammatories in numbers far beyond anything previously acknowledged or made public. In the calendar year of 2012, for example, the average team prescribed nearly 5,777 doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and 2,213 doses of controlled medications to its players, according to a March 2013 internal document from Lawrence Brown, the NFL-employed medical adviser who oversees its drug issues.

Interesting, especially the number of non steroidal prescriptions, as those are cheap and non-addictive.

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