Overdoses of prescription drugs up drastically, new study says

[Ed Barrow]

Source: Austin American-Statesman

A study released today says that prescription drug overdoses in the nation’s emergency rooms are up dramatically.

Visits to ERs because of abuse of painkillers, described in the study as “nonmedical use of opioid analgesics,” increased 111 percent between 2004 and 2008, from 144,600 visits in 2004 to 305,900 in 2008, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Among painkillers, the prescription drugs causing the highest visits were oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone, says the study published in the CDC’s June 18 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

...

“The abuse of prescription drugs is our nation’s fastest-growing drug problem. And this new study shows it is a problem that affects men and women, people under 21, and those over 21,” Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske said in a written statement.


Read more: http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/health/entries/2010/06/17/overdoses_of_prescription_drug.html?cxntfid=blogs_salud

[Warpy]

1. They'd better start asking why people are ODing on that stuff

If they're prescribed, then they need to look at how adequately treated the pain is. Untreated pain is fatal because it leads to social isolation, depression and suicide. Leaving people in untreated pain because some people OD is not an option, although I'm sure our Christian nanny state would like to try.

If they're getting this stuff outside health care, then they need to find out where these drugs are being diverted and how. Most drug companies have insiders that supply organized crime. It's high time the DEA stops leaning on doctors and their patients and starts leaning on drug companies. Really.

It would be nice if our fine news media would stop failing to differentiate between the two groups. It would be nice if they ever decided to tell the whole story.

Personally, I'd like to see an end to the drug war, period. It isn't working. The drugs won.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

3. I concur ^

[Stuart G]

2. It won't get better, it will get much worse....Doctors write ..

far too many scrips...They kill. Let's see. Micheal Jackson, Heath Ledger..Elvis...anyone else??

[krabigirl]

4. time to legalize medical cannabis at the very least for people in pain.

[johnnyplankton]

5. The manufacturers knew it was addictive....

When they put it on the market. They plead guilty in 2007 t lying and paid a fine. It should not be illegal. It has been my experience that Oxycontin use leads to heroin addiction in younger people at a massive rate. The detoxes are full of these kids.

"The drug maker knew as early as 1995 that health professionals feared the addictive potential of OxyContin, an opium derivative, but looked the other way, according to court papers. From 1996 to 2001, Purdue claimed that the "miracle drug" was safer than rival medications despite repeated studies that suggested patients had developed a risk of abuse and had serious trouble withdrawing from OxyContin. Purdue collected $2.8 billion through sales of OxyContin during that time, court papers said."

Read more from the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/10/AR2007051000892.html

[ProudDad]

6. DUH!

When over half of USAmericans have to take some prescription pill to get through the day...

What does one expect?

The drug pushers always end up on top...


And, damn it, this is NEWS! WTF did the mods move it?