Novus Medical Detox Center Calls For 'Big Pharma' To Help Curb Unprecedented U.S. Drug Epidemic

As state, local and private sector activists race to stem the prescription drug abuse epidemic, why are the major pharmaceutical corporations silent?

Pharmaceutical drug abuse now kills more people than car accidents yearly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified this abuse as an epidemic, one that even threatens the achievements of modern medicine, according to the World Health Organization. Prescription drug abuse is a global problem, and the U.S. is the world’s biggest addict accounting for 99 percent of the world’s hydrocodone (Vicodin) consumption, 80 percent of the oxycodone consumption (Percocet and OxyContin) and 65 percent of the world’s hydromorphone (Dilaudid). Almost all causes of preventable deaths have been in decline except deaths from drug abuse with has doubled in the last 10 years. ⁽¹⁾ Bryn Wesch, CFO of Novus Medical Detox Center (www.novusdetox.com), a leading Florida-based drug treatment facility, sees daily the story of innocent people who went to their doctor for help with a problem and got caught in the cycle of addiction.

Just a few days ago, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie delivered an impassioned and highly personal address to New Hampshire voters giving examples of how prescription drug addiction could happen to even the most successful among us – and those that fall must be cared for. His speech immediately went viral throughout the Internet and was praised by both conservatives and liberals alike.⁽²⁾

Chief Leonard Campanello of the Gloucester, MA Police Department has begun a campaign he says is based on the reality that, “Addiction isn’t a crime, it’s a condition that requires treatment.” But what has really garnered media coverage is Chief Campanello’s recent challenge to the top five Big Pharma CEOs to get on board the treatment and prevention bandwagon.

In a fact sheet issued October 21, 2015, the Obama administration announced public and private sector efforts to address prescription drug abuse and heroin use. It is a sweeping national drug control strategy and educational program that touches thousands of organizations and drug reform activists as well as 4 million health care providers. This strategy seeks to create awareness at the point of prescription and consumption, but there is nothing that loops in the large pharmaceutical companies to take a share of the responsibility.

Big Pharma, a nickname given to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, is so influential in the prescription drug market that without insisting it help, the epidemic of addiction will continue to be a costly and labor intensive effort to roll back.

The global market for pharmaceuticals topped $1T in sales in 2014 with the help of strategically placed funding projects, including heavy contributions to the budgets of the Food and Drug Administration, special interest lobby groups, political campaigns, medical training and research and billions of dollars spent each year on consumer advertising, a practice all but one other country bans.

As a result, Big Pharma controls the course of medicine. Doctors receive biased information and adopt a drug-intensive style of medicine that helps expedites the overloaded waiting rooms in healthcare centers and hospitals but does little to cure.

Wesch believes the investor-run pharmaceutical manufacturers’ drive for profits have created a quick-fix way out for too many overworked doctors who fail to do their own research or fully diagnose the patients they see in the brief 15 minute visits.

“Not bringing the so-called ‘Big Pharma’ into the solution is a huge omission,” Wesch said. “While there is much that can be done on a one-to-one basis, when the pharmaceutical companies get on board, they can make a huge difference.”

Wesch believes that direct-to-consumer ads for prescription drugs are off target, mold opinions that are uninformed and should be banned. Investor-influenced government and the medical behavior should come under closer scrutiny. A portion of pharmaceutical profits should be paid directly into a commonwealth fund not under their control and its use should include funding basic research, innovations, cures, alternative therapy and educational programs.

Meanwhile, “Novus can provide services to help people overcome their addictions in a natural, healthy way and help them reclaim their life,” said Wesch.

About Novus Medical Detox Center
Novus Medical Detox Center is a Joint Commission Accredited inpatient medical detox facility. Novus offers safe, effective alcohol and drug treatment programs in a home-like residential setting. Located on 3.25 tree-lined acres in New Port Richey, Fla., Novus is also licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families and is known for minimizing the discomfort of withdrawal from prescription medication, drugs or alcohol by creating a customized detox program for each patient. By incorporating medication, natural supplements and fluid replenishment, Novus tailors the detox process for each patient, putting the dignity and humanity back into drug detoxification. Patients have 24/7 medical supervision, including round-the-clock nursing care and access to a withdrawal specialist, and enjoy comfortable private or shared rooms with a telephone, cable television and high-speed Internet access. Novus’ expansion is tied to their contribution to their industry and their local community, ranking number 48 on the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 2014 Fast 50 Awards list of the fastest-growing companies in Tampa Bay, and number 2,936 on the 2014 Inc. 500/5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America. For more information, visit www.novusdetox.com.

⁽¹⁾ Elkins, Chris. "Hooked on Pharmaceuticals: Prescription Drug Abuse in America." N.p., 29 July 2015.Web. drugwatch.com/2015/07/29/drug-abuse-in-america/

⁽²⁾ Cape Hart, Jonathan. "Chris Christie Gets It on Drug Addiction." N.p., 4 Nov. 2015. Web. washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/11/04/chris-christie-gets-it-on-drug-addiction/

⁽³⁾ "FACT SHEET: Obama Administration Announces Public and Private Sector Efforts to Address Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Use." N.p., 21 Oct. 2015. Web. whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/10/21/fact-sheet-obama-administration-announces-public-and-private-sector