In some of these cases, illicit substances were also present. Pain medications, meanwhile, were involved in 14,500: too many, but a minority of all cases. A drug category that mainly represents manufactured fentanyl and similar drugs was involved in 28,500. The CDC reports 47,600 opioid overdose deaths for 2017. Illicit drugs, rather than prescription medications, have accounted for an increasing proportion of deaths from opioids. This understanding of the opioid crisis has less and less grounding in reality. “People go into a hospital with a broken arm they come out, they’re a drug addict.” President Donald Trump, too, has called for reducing opioid prescriptions. The bipartisan pair of senators have the same mindset that led then Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recommend last year that people in pain “tough it out” with aspirin rather than opioids. Gillibrand concurs: “One of the root causes of opioid abuse is the over-prescription of these powerful and addictive drugs.” Oftentimes, the first over prescription spurs the devastating path of addiction.” In the senators’ press release, Gardner says: “As I’ve met with Coloradans impacted by the opioid epidemic, the recurring story is clear. Under their legislation, initial prescriptions for acute pain could cover no more than seven days and include no refills. Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Republican Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado are pushing for a federal limit. Thirty-three states had imposed some type of limit on opioid prescriptions by last October. The signatories believe that those guidelines are being misapplied in a way that keeps many patients in agony.Īmong policymakers, however, the focus is still on cracking down on prescriptions.

In 2016, the CDC issued guidelines to discourage doctors from overprescribing opioids. That’s the message of a letter from more than 300 medical professionals, including three former White House drug czars, to the Centers for Disease Control. Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight CCG.Patients in pain have become collateral damage in the war on opioids. 'Petersfield Minor Injuries Unit upgraded to Urgent Treatment Centre'. ^ ' 'New criminal investigation launched into deaths of hundreds of patients at Gosport War Memorial Hospital' '.'Gosport hospital: more than 450 patients died due to opioid drugs policy'. ^ ' 'Disregard for human life' - 450 patients killed by painkillers at hospital, report says'.Gosport War Memorial Hospital forecourt near original entrance. Gosport War Memorial Hospital (lectern-style information board). ^ a b Gosport Portsmouth Healthcare Trust (1998).^ 'The War Memorial Hospital as originally built, without the east wing, and no Canon Landon memorial clock'.^ a b c d e 'Gosport War Memorial Hospital from 1923 to 1995' (PDF).^ a b c 'Gosport War Memorial Hospital'.This provided beds for General Practitioner, elderly mental health, and maternity services, as well as two new day hospitals. In 1991 £10.5m provided to create a new community hospital for Gosport was used to extend the hospital, the work being completed in 1995. A petition with 20,000 signatures prevented the hospital from closing in the early 1980s. New out-patient and accident and emergency departments were added in 1963 and a physical medicine and x-ray facility was added in 1966. The hospital joined the National Health Service in 1948. The East Wing was added in 1932 and the Canon Landon memorial clock, which recognised the life of Canon Guy Landon, Rector of Alverstoke from 1907 to 1947, was added following his death. Its foundation stone was laid by Field Marshal Earl Haig on 3 July 1921. The hospital was built as a memorial to members of the Portsmouth Division of the Royal Marine Light Infantry based at Forton Barracks who had died in the First World War.

War hospital perscriptions