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Readers React: Why no one should be surprised that hospitals face dangerous opioid shortages

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To the editor: After years of ginning up fears, both reasonable and unreasonable, about the “opioid epidemic,” everyone seems surprised that some of our hospitals are facing a dangerous shortage of many of these same opioids. (“The other opioid crisis: hospitals are running short of powerful painkillers,” March 16)

This shortage doesn’t surprise me, though I’m surprised that the media appear to be concerned now about an opioid shortage after spending so much energy on whipping up political and public anger toward opioids.

I predict that we can continue to expect such shortage as long as only the “anti-opioid” lobby, including many who’ve lost loved ones to opioid addiction, are allowed in the discussion.The solution is to allow all sides of the issue to be heard, and that means inviting people living with pain and their physicians who manage opioid medication responsibly.

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The time has come for us to have an honest and equitable discussion on this very serious subject.

Geneviève Clavreul, Pasadena

The writer is a registered nurse.

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To the editor: The Los Angeles Times reports that patients are “languishing in pain” due to a shortage of opioids. This is happening amid a national crisis of addiction and death caused by opioids.

More importantly, it highlights the brainwashing of American physicians by the pharmaceutical industry.

The Journal of the American Medical Assn. published a study in November 2017 that found that ibuprofen-acetaminophen combination pills had the same pain reduction effects as opioid-acetaminophen pills on emergency department patients with acute extremity pain.

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Perhaps the medical profession needs to consider alternatives rather than insisting on use of a drug that has tragic consequences.

Chris Brewster, San Diego

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To the editor: Yes, there is another crisis (to use the inflammatory word regarding these morphine-based medications).

We are the chronically ill and in constant pain. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has set tight limits on the amount of medication we are allowed each day. For those of us who have taken this medication for years, the dosage limit is not adequate.

Our pain doctors and we, the patients, are going crazy trying to find ways to keep our pain in check. We are suffering constantly, begging for help. The FDA must review its policies to consider this group of seriously ill patients and make a set of separate rules for us.

The FDA has gone overboard with these inhumane limits.

Carol Dickinson, Laguna Niguel

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