Painkillers Understocked in Minority Areas, Study Says

[cantstandbush]

WP: today.

I guess only folks like Rush are worthy of access to painkillers?


By Marc Kaufman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 14, 2005; Page A04

Pharmacies in black neighborhoods are much less likely to carry sufficient supplies of popular opioid painkillers than those in white neighborhoods, a new study has found, leading researchers to conclude that minorities are routinely undertreated for chronic pain.

[harlinnchi]

1. Another dot in the American pattern.

Folks just kinda dismiss these reports thinking, oh that's not so bad. But when these 'dots' are connected they display an image far more disturbing.

[Nikki Stone 1]

2. "Let them eat crack?"

Nice to see that America is so equal.

:sarcasm:

[SoFlaJet]

3. no..........

let them shoot dope(dope is heroin for those that might not know)

[nashville_brook]

4. i live in a diverse neighborhood and have chronic pain

and my Walgreens always says, "let me see if we have that" when i take my script in. i never thought much of it b/c they are good about getting out-of-stock drugs delivered that day -- but it would suck to be off my meds for a couple of days (which happens sometimes in months with 31 days) and need meds quick.

i'll check out the article.

[Fovea]

5. If we stocked painkillers...

Why would the darkies sing the blues?

This is not the America I grew up in, or pay taxes for.

[Patiod]

6. I've interviewed pharmacists in these areas about this

They are broken into on a regular basis, and the robbers demand specific pain drugs, and therefore they refuse to stock them. Patients therefore have to get their meds only from the (better-guarded) hospital pharmacies (which are also harder to get to and have shorter hours and are a lot less convenient).

It sucks, but if you were a pharmacist who was repeatedly robbed for drugs that had "street value", what would you do? Many of these guys will go through the hassle of special ordering a patient's pain meds, but they can't take the chance of stocking them.

In this case, it's not race, it's class again. This happens in high-crime poor white areas as well.

Don't know the solution to this one.

[pitohui]

7. patiod has the right answer

it's also happening in rural areas, class of white person irrelevent, in my area, which is well-to-do there are white gangsta wanna-be's who get into drugs & commit these crimes, our pharmacies have recently had to invest in huge security upgrades to secure the life & safety of their staff

i almost wish they'd put these drugs OTC & let the addicts go off quietly somewhere & kill themselves, voice of frustration speaking, yes, like everyone else i have addict friends also but after awhile you wonder why ppl who have no purpose except being unhappy & making everyone around them unhappy should be forced to continue in an existence they obviously despise

[cantstandbush]

9. I think we call white drug criminals "organized crime" and others "thugs."

n/t

[cantstandbush]

8. Somehow i don't buy this. "Repeatedly robbed for drugs...?

Video cameras, police patrols, security, locked drug safes....?
I just don't buy this. If you can get your doctors to write pain med prescriptions no need for robbings of drugs. On the other hand, what kind of addicts use prescription drugs...you get my drift.