Oxycontin was never supposed to be a general use pain medication, it was supposed to be a terminal drug. That being said, doctors have become doctor feel goods because they have to make up for being screwed by the government on reimbursements.
Yup. Oxy's were never meant for people who planned to be around long.
Welcome to the world of clinico-economics. Notice all those pain clinics popping-up everywhere? Why aren't insurance providers and the government busting these script shops left and right?
Here's why: If I'm a back pain patient who's going to bounce between orthopedic specialists or neurologists, I'm going to rack-up bills for back braces, shoe orthotics, physical therapy, MRI's, etc. etc. And I'll eventually find a doctor who wants to cut on me. He'll do a 1-2 level fusion and it won't help me. And I'll still need MRI's, physical therapy and more braces -- until he cuts me again.
Enter the solution: A $0.10 oxycontin pill. If that pain management doctor can keep me stoned and happy for the next 30 years and bill me for pain management services, he'll cost the insurers vastly less money -- even if he is billing for his particular services. And when you do become an addict, who does it cost? It doesn't cost CMS or the insurance provider -- the people who pay the price are the friends and family of patient.
And no, this isn't some vast conspiracy. It's simply economics -- and it's a sign of things to come. As we try to take more and more money out of health care, the best way to do it is to cost shift away from providers who send bills (hospitals, surgery centers, DME providers, HHC providers) and toward the patient's friends and family.
Learn it, live it, love it -- because you won't have any other choice.