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Prescription drug abuse is on the rise in seniors and disabled beneficiaries who use the Medicare program. It was recently reported that this abuse cost the program nearly $150 million in 2008. In the report, it shows that some patients went to at least five doctors in order to receive multiple prescriptions for drugs that are often misused or abused. These are drugs on the FDA “Controlled Substances” list. They are prescription drugs like: Oxycontin, Vicodin, Percocet, Xanax and Valium.

About 170,000 individuals enrolled in the Medicare Part D prescription program were found to be “doctor shopping” for drugs ranging from oxycodone to hydrocodone. That means that approximately 1.8 percent of the total 43 million Medicare patients had these prescriptions. The study was started in 2010, using the data obtained in 2008.

One shocking example shows a patient who received prescriptions from 87 different doctors in a single year. That means some patients have gone to great lengths to have the government feed their drug addiction and need for these medications. Not only are these patients taking advantage of the system, but they are also fueling an addiction to medications that will ultimately land them in trouble.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have also been receiving many complaints lately regarding this type of drug abuse. When CMS receives these complaints, they then notify doctors about patients who could be abusing prescription drugs in order to stop abuse on their end. Prescription drug abuse is very dangerous and many people believe just because a doctor writes a prescription that it makes it okay to for them to ingest. This is far from the case and can lead to deadly consequences.

If you or a loved one needs help with prescription drug abuse, please contact Vista Taos Renewal Center today. They are a holistic drug abuse treatment center located 85 miles north of Santa Fe in New Mexico that can help anyone and everyone get their life back on track. Now is the time to get help and live a better life.

Narcotic related emergency room visits are on the rise all over the United States. New York City, for instance has seen a 40% jump in just a few short years. Prescription pain medicine is the second-most used illegal drug; marijuana remains number one. It is estimated by a survey from New York’s Department of Health that 263,000 people have used pain killers like oxycodone and hydrocodone. These are the numbers of people within the state who are using the drug for recreation, not to treat pain.

Seeing this shift towards narcotic pain medication as a way to get high is dangerous because the risk of overdose is high. These are highly–addictive medications that when used properly, treat pain and do not run a high risk of addiction. Many people feel they can take these medications with minimal risk to their bodies because they are often prescribed by doctors for pain purposes. However, doctors typically only prescribe pills like these for short periods of time. One reason is because it is to treat short-term pain, like that associated with surgery or injuries. Another reason is because people can become dependent after long-term use. These pills are great for masking pain until the problem subsides, but long-term pain needs expert help to find the root cause and another way to treat the issue. And finally, because these medications can damage your organs.

Pill addiction is a deadly game to play with your body’s organs. It is only a matter of time before a person will sustain damage to their liver, kidneys and other vital organs. Overdose is a reality. Once a person has consumed too much of a prescription narcotic, it becomes difficult for trained medical professionals to undo what has been done. Get help now for pill addiction to drugs like Vicodin, Percocet or OxyContin. Join Vista Taos Drug Rehab clinic in New Mexico to break the deadly cycle of addiction.

Online pharmacies are popping up left and right, providing prescription drugs without a prescription and causing quite a stir in the medical community. These pharmacies are often located outside the United States, but provide pills like Xanax, Percocet, Vicodin, Oxycontin and more to those who only take the drug to abuse it.

It wasn’t long ago that the method to getting these drugs was to purchase them without a prescription at a Mexican pharmacy. Prescription pill smuggling is a billion-dollar industry, leaving many southern cities like Dallas, Texas or Albuquerque, New Mexico with some of the easiest access to narcotics without a prescription. Because of the internet, these pills can be shipped anywhere. It is not only that these pills are being abused, but that often times, people are not getting the medicine they ordered, leaving them with other, dangerous side effects to treat.

Pill addiction is quickly replacing other illegal drugs, like marijuana, cocaine and heroin. People feel that because these pills were created in a laboratory, by medical scientists and doctors, they can provide a safe high. That is completely false. These pills can treat pain safely under a doctor’s care and only for a limited time. Products like Vicodin have acetaminophen in them; it can be detrimental to your liver over long-time usage. There is no safe high. Each pain pill and sedative on the market come with dangerous side effects if misused. So many lose their lives each year because of pill addiction.

Vista Taos Renewal Center in Taos, New Mexico knows how hard it can be to overcome pill addiction. That’s why they’re ready to talk to you about treatment options 24 hours a day. It is possible to more comfortably detox from pain pills and overcome aching process your body goes through while it retunes itself to live healthily, free from narcotics. Please call Vista Taos today, don’t be a pain pill addiction statistic.

New studies show that concurrent use of painkillers, including NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as Tylenol, Advil, and naproxen with anti-depressant medications like Prozac actually decreases the effectiveness of the anti-depressant medication. This is bad news for psychiatric patients that depend on anti-depressant medications to lead a normal day-to-day life, and for other patients who suffer from pill addiction due to chronic, daily pain. While it may be safe for a patient taking an anti-depressant to take the occasional NSAID to relieve mild headaches or muscle pain, studies have not yet determined what dosage of painkillers will begin to have an effect on the way the body and mind interpret anti-depressant medications.

For some people, anti-depressants are not very effective – and this new research identifies one of the reasons that treatment may be more effective for some than others. By eliminating painkillers, a patient may be able to determine if that is a contributing factor to the reason their anti-depressants seem to have a lackluster effect. This can also help to stave off pill addiction, which can be developed after extended use of even over-the-counter painkillers like Tylenol. The body becomes used to a certain amount of pain relief, and will eventually require a higher amount of the medication in more frequent intervals.

There are a multitude of other options for those who suffer from chronic pain to explore as an alternative to painkillers, and the possibility of developing a pill addiction. Consistent, holistic therapies have often proven to be more effective in the long-term sense, rather than relying on medication to treat pain symptoms. Options such as massage therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, meditation, and even hypnotherapy have provided thousands of sufferers with natural relief, without feeding their bodies with a variety of chemicals that are found in painkillers.

For more information on the different types of therapy available to naturally heal your body from pill addiction, contact the caring staff at Vista Taos Addiction Center in Taos, New Mexico.