Millions of families have experienced the heartbreak of a family member addicted to a drug legally dispensed but unethically prescribed. As a registered pharmacist for over 30 years, I have the experience and knowledge base to help educate the health care professions and the public on the quiet epidemic that is affecting our country. The growing epidemic of misuse, addiction, and death in our country has also created more opportunities to discuss the cultural changes that have evolved into having more acceptance of the commercially made drugs that are destroying individuals and families.

We have millions of people waking up every morning unable to function without a prescription drug(s) to make it through the day. The need for the drugs are not from a disease state, but simply to prevent oneself from being sick (commonly known as withdrawal).

The need to prevent tremors, shakes, upset stomach, headache, chills, sweats, and profuse diarrhea chains an individual to these drugs.

Unfortunately, the misuse is from doctors who prescribe, but do not know the dangers and side effects of the addictive drugs or from doctors who are blatantly greedy. Presently, there is no family who is immune from the destruction too many doctors are creating.

In our state of Florida, 70% of our drug related deaths are prescription drug related. There are countless examples of doctors who have replaced the street corner drug dealer. Our medical boards, pharmacy boards, police and DEA appear to be helpless in stopping the number of "legal" drugs reaching our streets.

Finally, heroin was legal in our country from 1898 through 1913. The parallels of Oxycontin misuse and heroin abuse are astonishing. They both kill. Oxycontin was introduced onto our streets in 1995 and is the symbol for what started our prescription drug epidemic. Purdue was convicted of "misbranding" the drug in 2007. A goal of the radio show is to educate the public about OxyContin and remove the major symbol of the epidemic from our streets......................Larry G.

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