OxyContin Awareness - How To Battle Oxy Abuse

Please return to my homepage and at the top read representative Wolf's initiative and SUPPORT him by contacting your elected officials.

This was my testimony to PA reps and if you have any suggestions please EMAIL me at [email protected]

PA House of Representatives Urban Affairs Committee public hearing on Oxycontin

I would like to thank the members of the committee for allowing my voice to be heard.

My name is Edward Bisch, On Presidents day of this year. February 19, 2001 I received a call that all parents DREAD and pray they NEVER receive.

Christi my 15 year old daughter could not wake her brother 'Eddie' up.

That was the first day I ever heard the word OXYCONTIN. I was shocked when a police officer came in the house and said Oxycontin,'kids are dying left and right from this"? I could NOT believe what I was hearing and angrily yelled? WHY DID I NEVER HEAR OR WAS WARNED ABOUT THIS DRUG?

>From that moment on I started to educate myself on Oxycontin and warning as many people as I could about the devastation of abusing it. My family and I quickly decided to publicly AIR our dirty laundry about Eddie's death to get the word out to as many people as possible about OXYCONTIN ABUSE. We notified the MEDIA and were more appalled when the Daily News reported OXYCONTIN was also involved in 20 Philadelphia deaths within a three month period, but no warning was given about this rising epidemic?

We called a community meeting and my sister called all the media outlets in the City, to help us get the word to the Philadelphia region about the DEADLY abuse of this drug. The media responded that night and all the TV, Newspaper and News radio stations reported on the Previously unpublicized killer.

I myself personally started a CHAIN email to also help warn people here and throughout the country. The email then evolved into a website (oxyABUSEkills.com) and now the website has evolved into a Nonprofit organization called the PDAAP (Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness & Prevention). All this is in loving Memory of my son Eddie Bisch.

Needless to say this has devastated my family and particularly Eddie's Mom who has had several breakdowns trying to deal with this terrible and shocking tragedy.

I commend this board for helping US bring awareness to this still rising problem.

Since Eddie's death most of my free time has been spent either researching or working to spread the word about OXY abuse. I have also talked to hundreds of people all over the country through my website from Government Agents, politicians, doctors, abusers, reporters, informers, grieving relatives of other victims, drug companies, cancer patients. and Chronic pain patients. Oxyabusekills.com has had over 30,000 visitors. I also volunteer and talk at schools and community groups about OXY abuse. If there is such a thing, I would consider myself an UNWILLING expert on OXY ABUSE.

I have learned that this is a complicated and history making situation due to the fact that people in Severe Chronic Pain really do need this drug and I am totally against BANNING it. I have provided to the committee an attachment as to what I feel contributed to this still rising ABUSE epidemic But more importantly is, NOW that it is being acknowledged the question is how do we slow or stop this ABUSE epidemic? Winning this battle is not going to be easy, it will take the combined efforts of the public, government, doctors, patients and Manufacturer (Purdue Pharma) which has already started some education programs.

I'd like to publicly suggest the following:

1) We need to identify and Prosecute doctor shoppers and publicize this to let others know the FREE RIDE is over. For too long Police have looked the other way or have not allocated enough resources to stop this crime. Computerized monitoring is the best way to do this BUT we need to get this speedily implemented and all 50 states need it.

2) It should NOT take 9 months to Arrest Crooked Doctors or Pharmacists who have been identified. Dr Paolino was able to put around 300,000 pills on the street while under investigation? This delay should be investigated and If this is the NORMAL system then something needs to be changed to speed it up.

3) Training should be readily available and REQUIRED for any doctor who writes prescriptions for oxycontin. There are not enough Pain Management Specialist to limit the prescribing to them but a shorter course should be required for any doctor who writes a prescription for this powerful pain killer.

4) Doctors should be legally required to explain tolerance/dependence to people. I have received MANY emails from legitimate patients who were not explained anything except take twice daily, Many of these legitimate patients eventually became abusers.

5) Legitimate patients who resell part of their prescription need to be made aware that this is DRUG DEALING, people are DYING and this NO LONGER will be overlooked. This is another crime law enforcement has overlooked for too long.

6) Treatment needs to be readily available so a person who wants help can have it immediately. the deaths are getting the headlines but there are MANY more already addicted. If treatment is not available then when the OXY supply does start to dry up, MANY OXY abusers will turn to heroin.

7) Finally, Continue to educate everyone, especially teens on the dangers of Abusing Prescription Drugs. As you have heard in previous testimony that Most OXY related deaths also involved other drugs including alcohol and Eddie was part of this majority
as early the day before he died, he had abused another prescription drug XANAX.
I realize it was Prescription Drug Abuse that killed Eddie, but OXY is the straw that is breaking the camel's back in most of these death's, not to mention how many more are now addicted to it. Government agencies have documented that PILL POPPING is rapidly rising among teenagers. This is why we have founded the PDAAP, to develop programs to educate the teens on how DANGEROUS/ADDICTIVE it is to Abuse pills. I somehow would like to be a partner/volunteer to this committee and the state of Pennsylvania to help educate the children to at least give them a fighting chance. To properly warn them of the consequences when they choose to abuse pills. This is the 21'st century with 21'st century drugs and we NEED 21'st century drug education programs.

Thank You and I will answer any questions now and ANYONE at anytime can contact me through my website oxyABUSEkills.com.