Quote:
Originally Posted by tooge
Contrary to what has been posted here, doctors don't make any money handing these out. There are nerve conditions I deal with several times a year that don't respond to any treatment or therapy. I usually refer the patient to a "pain treatment center" for things like trigeminal neuralgia. Unfortunately, for some of these people, and others, with ailments like back injuries, surgery or physical therapy isn't effective. In those cases, yes, hydrocodone is often prescribed over and over.
It's really no different than any other med, say, cholesterol meds in a person with genetically high LDH and triglycerides. They have to take it or they will likely die.
I don't get any "kickback" as some of my buddies razz me about, from any drug companies. Once in a while I'll get a coffee mug, or some pens. thats about it.
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My dad was a dentist, and he was very old school in that many of his patients had his home phone number and knew him personally.
Anyway, we'd get several calls a month of people with "horrible tooth aches" wanting him to write them a scrip. His solution was always to tell them to "come on out to the clinic right now, and I'll fix your tooth for you" (his clinic was right next to our house). That usually separated the people with real issues from the scrip hounds. Of course, he also ended up actually having to go next door and fix people's teeth on occasion at all hours of the night.