Local doctor working to cut down on opioid prescriptions

(KSNB)
Published: Dec. 26, 2018 at 6:20 PM CST
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Many believe the opioid crisis is not affecting Nebraska as much as the coastal states but doctors and prevention agencies say it is much more prevalent than some may think

They are even trying to offer alternative medicines to treat chronic pain so that less people will have the opportunity to become addicted.

Doctors say the opioid epidemic is one of the biggest issues facing the nation. Dr. Kartic Rajput, MD PhD at Mary Lanning Healthcare is trying to cut back on the number of prescriptions that are being written.

“A lot of these patients are using pain medications or narcotic pain medications for other symptoms and that can be depression, or anxiety, or even for sleep,” Dr. Rajput said.

Nationally, there are 70 prescriptions per every 100 people. In Nebraska, it is higher at 72.8. There is also a great need for a detox center that will accept people addicted to opioids.

Right now, many places in the Tri-Cities will turn people away if they have opioids in their system since the withdrawal process is so severe compared to other drugs.

“When you have an addict finally decide 'I want help, please help me, let's go to detox, let's go to treatment' that window of willingness is so short that if you don't get them into detox or to a safe place they might change their mind,” Outreach and Prevention Coordinator Vista Amber Smith said.

Doctors work with patients to test them for anxiety or depression if there is a possibility they will need narcotics. People who have either one are more likely to fall into an addictive pattern and doctors try to avoid giving them narcotics.

Doctors say anyone could become addicted to opioids and it doesn't only happen to a particular type of person.

“There is a lot of stigma attached to addiction as such and people will say ' you don't have boundaries, or you don't have boundaries' but it's not that,” Dr. Rajput said. “We call addiction a disease and we want to treat it like the disease it is.”

For now, Dr. Rajput and the CNCAA will work to bring a detox program to central Nebraska.

He says that Nebraska sees less opioid related deaths than some states, but that high percentage of prescriptions is what is leading to addiction being such a big problem.