This week we share with you a few tips to keep your Chin Up, a story on the prescribing of OxyContin, and some tips on how to communicate with your healthcare team. Enjoy!
Pharmac has spent tens of millions on OxyContin, blamed for America's opioid crisis
Pharmac has spent tens of millions of dollars funding a painkiller at the centre of the American opioid crisis. Experts say it has created a whole new population of drug users. National Correspondent Tony Wall investigates.
Oxycodone, known by its brand name OxyContin or more colloquially as 'Hillbilly Heroin', was meant to be an alternative for people who didn't tolerate morphine.
Instead, statistics uncovered by Stuff reveal morphine use edged upwards while prescribing of oxycodone took off.
Between 2005, when Pharmac began funding oxycodone, to the 2011-2012 financial year, the number of times the drug was prescribed climbed from 9607 to 185,884 - a jump of more than 1800 per cent.
Communicating With Your Health Care Team
Do you understand the information you're getting from your health care team? Do you know what questions to ask? You need good communication to get the best care from your health care team members.
Your health care team is made up of professionals such as doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, pharmacists and others who care for your physical and mental health. Each member of your team is specially trained to help you cope with certain aspects of your life during and after cancer treatment.
Members of your health care team may seem very busy. However, it’s important that you have time together to discuss questions and concerns. When you schedule your appointment, you may need to ask for extra time to have these conversations.
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