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Opioid prescription rule concerns local seniors
By Justin Wier
YOUNGSTOWN
While the governor’s office stresses that rules limiting opioid prescriptions to seven days will not affect those with chronic conditions, some Valley seniors are concerned.
Ralph Kane of Salem is one of them. He takes a small dose of an opioid painkiller to manage a muscle disorder that leaves him in pain about half the day. He has friends in similar situations.
“We’re in our 70s and 80s,” he said. “Without the medication, we pretty much lie in the house; with it, we can play tennis and go hiking and stuff.”
Kane said he is incensed that older people may be asked to pay for the actions of young people. He also questions Gov. John Kasich’s authority on medical matters.
“He’s not my doctor,” Kane said. “And I don’t think he should be telling my doctor how to prescribe medicine.”
Kasich spokeswoman Emmalee Kalmbach said Kane shouldn’t worry.
“This is just for acute pain,” she said. “It’s for wisdom-teeth surgery; it’s for knee surgery.”
A fact sheet released by the governor’s office says providers can prescribe opiates in excess of new limits if they provide a specific reason in the patient’s medical record. It also says the limits do not apply to cancer treatment, palliative care, hospice care or medication-assisted treatment for addiction.
State Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, D-33rd, said Kasich’s actions are a small but necessary piece of the puzzle to fight opioid addiction. He acknowledged that exceptions for seniors with chronic pain need to be made clear to prescribers.
“We should do that and try to make it work for seniors,” Schiavoni said. “If you don’t have solid transportation [seven-day prescriptions are] going to be a problem.”
State Rep. John Boccieri of Poland, D-59th, said the government’s response needs to be proactive and give local governments the tools they need to respond to the crisis.
“I understand why the governor feels compelled to act,” Boccieri said. “But at the same time, politicians shouldn’t be in the business of dictating the type of prescriptive care for folks who are trying to recover from an illness.”
Despite reassurances from lawmakers, Kane is still concerned the regulatory environment will make doctors hesitant to prescribe painkillers to patients who could benefit from them.
“My doctor is probably typical of a lot of doctors,” Kane said. “In the last couple years, he’s become so afraid of government regulations that he won’t prescribe the medication, and I think that’s going to happen to a lot of doctors.”