Massachusetts Medical Society's Physician Focus

Prescription Drug Abuse: The Physician’s Perspective
Abuse of opioids and prescription drugs has become a national public health problem in the United States. Many efforts – legislation, regulations, restrictions, prescription monitoring programs – have been undertaken by government officials, law enforcement, and health providers at all levels to reduce the problem – with varying results. At the same time, many patients are experiencing chronic pain, and patients and providers alike are concerned that overreaction will deprive patients of needed medications. What is the physician’s perspective of prescription drug abuse? What do those who treat the patients and write the prescriptions think should be done to reduce the problem? What are the responsibilities of physicians when prescribing and patients when using opioids?

Physician Focus is a monthly, half-hour educational talk show that brings important health and medical information from practicing physicians and health care professionals to people and patients of all ages.

Produced for public access television stations, Physician Focus is a collaborative effort of the Massachusetts Medical Society, the statewide organization of physicians, and HCAM-TV, Hopkinton. The program is distributed each month to 195 Massachusetts public access television stations, reaching some 272 communities and an estimated 1.9 million cable households.* The program also has a national reach, available to public access stations across the U.S. via download from the transfer site, pegmedia.org. It is also available on iTunes. With statewide and national broadcasts, Physician Focus reaches an estimated 2.5 million households.

In each edition, members of the Medical Society share their knowledge and expertise in patient-friendly discussions with a physician host. The principal program host is Bruce Karlin, M.D., a primary care physician in Worcester, Mass. Other regular hosts include Mavis Jaworski, M.D., a primary care physician, James Kenealy, M.D., an otolaryngologist; Lynda Young, M.D., a pediatrician; and John Fromson, M.D., a psychiatrist. Other physicians may appear as guest hosts from time to time.

The Massachusetts Medical Society develops the content and distributes the programs to public access stations as a public service. HCAM-TV provides the studio and production facilities. The show is taped two months in advance of distribution.

Executive Producer of the show is Richard Gulla of the Medical Society’s media relations office. The program is produced by HCAM Station Manager Jim Cozzens and directed by HCAM’s Michael Torosian. Mr. Cozzens has over 25 years experience producing programs and overseeing community access television stations, and Mr. Gulla has more than 25 years experience in public relations and communications for some of the region's largest nonprofit and media organizations. The producers welcome inquiries and comments. Write to PhysicianFocus@mms.org.

*Subscriber figures from Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy, Cable Television Division