By Betsy Finklea
The overuse of opioids, better known as pain pills such as Percocet and Lorcet, is a concern not only in Dillon County and the Pee Dee area, but across our state and nation.
Just last week, the CDC (Center For Disease Control) issued new recommendations for prescribing opioid medications for chronic pain; however, this excluded cancer, palliative, and end-of-life care.
On a national scale, the problem is being called an epidemic with the prescribing and sale of opioids quadrupling since 1999.
The Pee Dee area is out-of-line in narcotics usage with usage above the national and state averages.

Dr. Tim Fitzgibbon of Dillon Family Medicine shares in the concern. He said the CDC is asking doctors to be wiser on the prescribing of opioids, to take another look at what they are doing to manage chronic pain, and to help those who have prescriptions to manage them and to help them look at alternatives.
Dr. Fitzgibbon said in some cases the use of pain medicine has gotten out of control and some people use too much intentionally or accidentally. He also said this pain medicine can cause interactions with other medications that may be taken by senior citizens causing them to have falls or hip fractures.
In some cases, doctors will be looking at whether the pain medications improve function or whether exercise or simpler medications may be a better fit to the patient’s needs. “We want to treat our patients safely,” said Dr. Fitzgibbon. He said they are not trying to give their patients a hard time, and they understand that there are some who suffer from chronic pain and need medication; they are just trying to make sure they get the best and safest treatment available.
Another problem being caused by the pain pills is the increase in heroin usage. When  people cannot afford or cannot get a supply of pain pills once addicted, some are turning to heroin. Dr. Fitzgibbon said that this involves the use of needles, and it is harder to control the dose and much easier to overdose and die.
The overuse of pain pills and heroin can also cause legal problems for patients. Local law enforcement officials are aware of the problem and will take necessary action if illegal activity is involved.
At Dillon Family Medicine, they are working with pharmacies to spot for inappropriate refills, multiple doctors, etc. He said they use the South Carolina and North Carolina prescription monitoring programs through DHEC. He said at Dillon Family Medicine if they have patients on long-term prescriptions that they do pill counts and drug screenings to make sure they are on the right dosage. He said they are trying to work with patients on all methods of treatment for their pain. “We want our patients to be healthy,” said Dr. Fitzgibbon.
Dr. Fitzgibbon said that opioid usage is also a huge problem with the the youth. He said they often don’t realize the potential pitfalls of pill usage and don’t know who will become addicted and who can play with it as a weekend drug.
Dr. Fitzgibbon encourages those who must use pain pills to put their medication in a lock box and to keep it away from children.
Dr. Fitzgibbon said there is help available for those locally and in the Florence area who have become addicted. He said there is also help for families who have an addicted loved one and need help. Locally, one can seek help from Trinity Behavioral Care, Tri-County Mental Health, and from their local spiritual advisor or pastor. He said sometimes the addiction stems from a void or emptiness that can be quenched through a relationship with God.
If anyone has any questions or concerns, Dr. Fitzgibbon invites them to call Dillon Family Medicine or their medical provider, the Dillon County Sheriff’s Office or your local law enforcement agency, or one of the above-named agencies where help can be sought.