Activity 6!

       I think it’s insane to hear that Florida is becoming a “pill popper’s paradise” out of all the many states in the country. I think it’s an issue that needs serious attention and needs to be reformed immediately. Some of the experiences shared in the video were devastating. I didn’t realize how dependent people could become on drugs, specifically oxycontin. I also didn’t realize how easy it is to get a prescription or how someone could buy it from another peer. In the video, when the guy failed to get the drug from the doctor’s office, he went to visit a 70 year old women who sold him oxycontin. As several doctor offices were contacted throughout the movie, they continuously rejected the offer to be interviewed when asked about the easy release of prescription drugs or why all appointments were filled up so quickly. I think the issue came from doctors prescribing oxycontin for minor health problems, which led to addiction of the drug. They just need to write something down to prescribe the drug. We also discussed in class how it’s legal in Florida to have pharmacies at doctor’s offices, which allows them to prescribe and dispense drugs at a quicker pace. People from other states come to Florida to get drugs because of this.

         As far as the drug itself, it’s interesting to learn about how people become addicted. In class we talked about how drugs affect individuals differently and how the biggest effect will only come the first time it is used. However, one may need more of the drug the second time to have the same effect as the first time. The guy in the video described it in a similar way. After a point, he just needed the drug to feel “normal” again. At that point, it didn’t make him feel anything more than normal. As people become more dependent, they will find any possible way to find the drug. As far as a policy to stop the pill pipeline, I think it’s important to make pharmacies at doctor’s offices illegal, just like other states. There needs to be more restrictions on the release of pills. A series of tests should be required before being prescribed a drug. I also think that all doctors’ offices should be required to provide other forms of treatment beside drugs. I don’t think pain clinics should only take cash either; this prevents us from knowing the source of the drug, if sold to someone.