Opinions and Reflections

For many years my columns have been written under the headings "Senior Moments" and "Spontaneous Reflections" (later, just "Reflections"). Curiously, a lot of Senior Moments could be called Reflections, or Opinions I suppose. Tonight I read in a newspaper three articles on its OPINION page. All three OPINIONS I observed caught my attention.            One of them I want to share with you as hardly an opinion but hopefully more a reflection..

This column involved Physicians, Psychiatrists, Prescriptions, Pharmacies and Patients titled The 90-Day Prescription Isn't for Everyone. Let me quote the author Dr. Barnett, a Psychiatrist at the famed Cleveland Clinic:

I see the lucky ones—those who are still alive, his patients who didn't overdose. Too many of these individuals who struggle with chronic suicidality should not be prescribed large quantities of medication. But some patients argue that insurance often will not cover smaller amounts. Some Physicians too easily subscribe 90-day Medications while some insurers and pharmacy benefit managers have made a vigorous push to require physicians to write 30-Day instead of 90-Day prescriptions.

Intentional overdose ranks high in attempting suicide in the U.S. and is rising especially among the young. Psychiatric and Antidepressant drugs play an outsize role in intentional suicide and even unintentionally with so many available. How many suicidal patients and other individuals would benefit from less medications on hand could be worth the effort.

If an opinion is a belief stronger than an impression and if a reflection is a consideration of some subject matter, idea, or purpose a reflection could result in an opinion. However an opinion could exist with little or no reflection. So maybe more reflections and fewer opinions might be worthwhile.

The expression opinionated speaks rather clearly doesn't it? If an opinion formed or a remark is made after careful thought, opinion and reflection can work effectively together. For instance, if a 90 day prescription is based primarily on profitability and not on a careful thought, more reflection may be necessary. Even then, a 30 day prescription may too many in some instances.

Pain killing drugs have many side effects including addiction and death and one major drug we are told took thousands of lives in our country in 2018. Anyway, I'm glad I chose REFLECTIONS rather than OPINIONS.

Editor's Note: While Dan explored the difference between an opinion and a reflection, his example of drug prescriptions raises questions worth exploring. Here are two links that may prove helpful:

• 5 Things to Consider Before Using a Mail-Order Pharmacy from GoodRx considers not the efficacy of 90- versus 30-day presecriptions, but whether you should follow the trend toward mail-order, where 90-day prescriptions are common, driven by economic factors..
  
  
• More to the point of drug safety is a CDC publication, Calculating Total Daily Dose of Opioids for Safer Dosage.