Prescription monitoring program aims to curb narcotic use

The registrar of the New Brunswick College of Physicians and Surgeonsis hoping a new prescription monitoring program will be part of the solution to a growing problem of narcotics addiction.

Dr. EdSchollenberg saidthe program, which has been 10 years in the making, should be up and running by next year.

It's a huge issue and there's no particularly easy answer to this.- Dr. Ed Schollenberg

"Itwill collect data on all prescribing of all drugs, but particularly looking at ones subject to abuse," Schollenberg said.

"Which will allow physicians, nurses, as well as investigators to access information on whether patientsreceived drugs from more than one source ... those kinds of things which will allow, if necessary, some intervention."

Schollenberg says the number of prescriptions for narcoticshas risen steadily for the past 25 years to treat acute pain from injuries, and to treat chronic pain.

"There's been increasing useof strong narcoticsoxy is one that is mentioned most frequently, dilaudid, some morphine preparations in a variety of situations," he told Information Morning Fredericton.

"If you look at people who have beenon narcotics for three weeks,50 per cent of them will still be on them for three years even if you try to avoid it."

No easy answers

Schollenberg hopes the early prescribing of narcotics will be reduced immediately with the new monitoring program, with doctors taking more time to warn patients of the risks and to suggest alternatives such as methadone.

"It's possible we will save the next generation of patients from going down the road some of the current ones have found themselves on."

In the long-term he hopes fewer prescriptions will be written, and an environment where alternatives are possible, available and acceptable.

"It's a huge issue and there's no particularly easy answer to this."

Schollenberg sees vastly different approaches to narcoticsby physicians witha small percentage of them doing most of the prescribing.

"Some people think that chronic pain is basically a drug dependency circumstance, others are more convinced that the pain is real and we just have to find a way to allow these patients to cope better," he said.

"There's good evidence that when they're on narcotics, their quality of life is not as good as it would be if they're not."

Once the prescription monitoring program is in place, Schollenberg says interventions will targetboth patients and doctors.