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Some Docs Abuse Drug Reportedly Given To Jackson

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Jul 28, 2009 12:13 am US/Pacific

Some Docs Abuse Drug Reportedly Given To Jackson

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) ― Reports indicate Michael Jackson used the anesthetic Propofol for insomnia.

Anesthesiologist Dr. Dan Burkhardt at UCSF Medical Center said while Propofol is a superior anesthetic, it's a very potent and dangerous drug.

"To use this drug in people who don't sleep well is suicidal." Dr. Burkhardt remarked, adding, "The difference in between the amount of drug you've got to give to have any effect at all and the amount that it takes to have you stop breathing and die is very small."

Propofol knocks you out. But it should only be used in a hospital setting, under the supervision of trained anesthesiologists.

But the anesthetic is not on the list of controlled substances, primarily because no one believed any one would abuse it.

"It's not the kind of drug that is going to give you a buzz, a high or make a party seem more interesting," Dr. Burkhardt explained.

But as it turns out, some physicians, notably anesthesiologists are abusing Propofol. In fact, one in three anesthesiologists who abused the drug accidentally overdosed and died.

The drug works by basically making your brain no longer want to breathe.

But, why would a trained anesthesiologist want to abuse such a dangerous substance?

One survey shows the doctors were reporting significant stress in their personal lives. Secondly, Propofol is relatively easy to obtain for anesthesiologists in the hospital.

Dr. Burkhardt said "I don't get someone to witness how much I threw away. I don't have to turn it back in for someone to analyze that's how much I used."

In the hospital, Propofol is locked up just like any other drug. But in most centers, there's no pharmacy accounting or control of Propofol stocks. That might change with the high profile death of Michael Jackson.

Dr. Burkhardt hopes that does not happen. He believes more regulations will only make it harder and more costly to treat patients.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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