Pubdate: Sun, 15 Jan 2017
Source: Boston Globe (MA)
Copyright: 2017 Globe Newspaper Company
Contact: http://services.bostonglobe.com/news/opeds/letter.aspx?id=6340
Website: http://bostonglobe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/52
Author: Evan Allen

A NEW FRONTIER IN OPIOID ABUSE: PEOPLE TAKING DRUGS MEANT FOR PETS

Law enforcement and veterinary officials are planning an outreach campaign
to educate veterinarians about a new frontier in the opioid epidemic:
people so desperate for drugs that they take medication that had been
prescribed to pets.

"The misuse of pet medication has serious safety implications - for people
and animals," said Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan, in a letter
that will be printed in the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association
newsletter this week. "Educating people about the signs of drug misuse,
available treatment resources and how to properly store and dispose of all
medications is a crucial part of helping to stem the tide of overdoses and
death."

In her letter, Ryan said she had only recently learned of the issue, when
she met a pet owner who said she couldn't understand why her pet was in
pain despite having been prescribed medication. Then, the woman realized
that a family member had been taking the animal's pills.

"It suddenly became clear why the pet had not been getting better," Ryan
wrote.

Because the issue is so new, no statistics have yet been compiled on its
scope, said Meghan Kelly, a spokeswoman for Ryan. Susan Curtis, executive
director of the veterinarians association, said she is not seeing many
cases at all - the problem, she said, is very new and still very rare.

But both Ryan and Curtis are trying to get ahead of it with education.

"We're being proactive," Curtis said. "We're trying to close the door."

Much of the medication prescribed to animals is the same medication
prescribed to humans, Curtis said - only the dose differs. In a pharmacy
for humans, she said, pharmacists give patients information on how to
store, consume, and dispose of opioids. The veterinarians association is
working with Ryan's office and the Massachusetts Department of Public
Health to create handouts so veterinarians can do the same.

Veterinarians often have close relationships with their clients and they
would likely become suspicious if a pet owner started seeking drugs with
no evidence that the animal needed them, Curtis said.

The danger instead is for people who have someone struggling with
addiction in their home, who may siphon or replace pills.

Veterinarians are still learning about all the red flags, she said. One
thing they will be advised is to learn who lives in their clients' homes.

In Ryan's letter, she cautioned veterinarians to watch for clients
attempting to fill prescriptions too soon, or who insist they cannot bring
their pets in for an exam before getting the prescription. She asked that
veterinarians review how to dispose properly of medications and identify
local law enforcement officials who can help if problems arise.

Curtis said a continuing education seminar will be offered for
veterinarians, vet techs, and animal control officers, in which
stakeholders, including law enforcement officials, will discuss the issue
of humans taking pet medications.

"This is very new, and very timely," said Curtis. "We're moving very
quickly on it."
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