Pain News and Research
Prescription Pain Medication in the News
Michael Jackson’s sudden death is a sad reminder to us all of the fragility of life. As a man and as a performer, he was taken from us too soon. As we try to make sense of this tragedy, some of the media focus will undoubtedly remain on the role that prescription medication abuse may have played in his death.
“The loss of an American legend is even more tragic if an inadvertent overdose of prescription pain medication is found to have contributed to his death,” says Lynn Webster, MD, FACPM, FASAM, National Pain Foundation Board Member and one of the country's leading experts in the field of pain medication misuse. “This terrible loss may be yet another illustration of the potential dangers of prescription pain medications,” he says. “Patients, the public and physicians must be aware of the potential harm of these treatments and work together to ensure their safe use so that they remain available to those who legitimately need them.”
Part of the NPF’s mission is to provide education about the proper use of pain medications for both patients and health care providers alike. The NPF is committed to reducing patient injury related to pain medication and the number of unintential overdoses or deaths caused by such therapies. If you, or someone you know, would like more information about this important topic, please visit the PainSAFE section of the NPF's web site. Topics addressed include teens and abuse, safe opioid medication usage and safe acetaminophen usage, among many more. We have also included prescribing guidelines for health care providers, FAQs about medication safety and a Pain Patient Bill of Rights to help promote and protect access to these treatments.
“The loss of an American legend is even more tragic if an inadvertent overdose of prescription pain medication is found to have contributed to his death,” says Lynn Webster, MD, FACPM, FASAM, National Pain Foundation Board Member and one of the country's leading experts in the field of pain medication misuse. “This terrible loss may be yet another illustration of the potential dangers of prescription pain medications,” he says. “Patients, the public and physicians must be aware of the potential harm of these treatments and work together to ensure their safe use so that they remain available to those who legitimately need them.”
Part of the NPF’s mission is to provide education about the proper use of pain medications for both patients and health care providers alike. The NPF is committed to reducing patient injury related to pain medication and the number of unintential overdoses or deaths caused by such therapies. If you, or someone you know, would like more information about this important topic, please visit the PainSAFE section of the NPF's web site. Topics addressed include teens and abuse, safe opioid medication usage and safe acetaminophen usage, among many more. We have also included prescribing guidelines for health care providers, FAQs about medication safety and a Pain Patient Bill of Rights to help promote and protect access to these treatments.