Prescription painkiller overdoses at epidemic levels, Kill more Americans than heroin and cocaine

[usregimechange]

The death toll from overdoses of prescription painkillers has more than tripled in the past decade, according to an analysis in the CDC Vital Signs report released today from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This new finding shows that more than 40 people die every day from overdoses involving narcotic pain relievers like hydrocodone (Vicodin), methadone, oxycodone (OxyContin), and oxymorphone (Opana).

“Overdoses involving prescription painkillers are at epidemic levels and now kill more Americans than heroin and cocaine combined, ” said CDC Director Thomas Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “States, health insurers, health care providers and individuals have critical roles to play in the national effort to stop this epidemic of overdoses while we protect patients who need prescriptions to control pain. ”

The increased use of prescription painkillers for nonmedical reasons (without a prescription for the high they cause), along with growing sales, has contributed to the large number of overdoses and deaths. In 2010, 1 in every 20 people in the United States age 12 and older—a total of 12 million people—reported using prescription painkillers nonmedically according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Based on the data from the Drug Enforcement Administration, sales of these drugs to pharmacies and health care providers have increased by more than 300 percent since 1999.

http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2011/p1101_flu_pain_killer_overdose.html

That's scary stuff.

[Le Taz Hot]

1. Two thoughts:

1) People without medical insurance or the means to pay medical professionals are turning to pain medication to relieve their misery and/or
2) (I hope I'm wrong on this) people are who are so tired of facing economic hardship and never-ending struggle may be using this as their own "final solution."

[ingac70]

5. More like the medical establishment are no better than pushers....

and prescription meds are harder to get off of than street drugs.

[zabet]

16. The one big difference being....

big pharma has a license to peddle pills, they own reps in the government to allow them free reign......like advertising via TV to consumers (so they can ask their doc for it - instead of the doc recommending it). Many of the elderly on SS or SSDI often supplement their income by selling pain meds on the black market (least ways around here it is that way). I know some that make an extra 1500 or better a month selling pills they pay 4 to 10 dollars a bottle for.

[valerief]

6. And mercy killings. nt

[JNelson6563]

17. No medical insurance

Not long ago I was running down some stairs outside and went ass over tea kettle when my foot hit the slippery brick walk at the end (it was raining). Felt like I tore my arm out of the socket. Really painful and I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. It was so bad that it actually scared me. Thought I might've really done some damage. Reluctantly I went to the hospital. Well I had confessed early on to no insurance and that I was unemployed so had no money either. Not a soul in the waiting room, staff having a relaxed afternoon discussing weather and telling jokes. I waited, crying in pain for 3 hours. I finally see a doctor for about 3 minutes. He apparently is unable to read x-rays so had a radiologist do it. He told me I'd be in pain for a good two weeks, gave me three days of pain meds and sent me on my way.

The radiologist was $139, the idiot dr who can't read x-rays, $200 and the hospital was $879. I could've gotten a week's worth of pain meds for about $50 on the street and you can be sure that's what I will do next time.

Julie

[ingac70]

2. They flood small town emergency rooms to get the stuff...

that has replaced the crack house, and I blame the doctors. My sister had some injuries and issues here a while back, and every time she went to the doctor(s) they were giving her prescriptions for oxycodone!

[woodsprite]

10. I was in the ER two weeks ago with a bad kidney stone event

They did a catscan and saw the stone trying to move down the ureter between the kidney and bladder, so they know I wasn't faking the pain. They gave me no pain meds or fluids while I was there (9 hours), but sent me home with a script for a small amount of percocet, just in case it started to move again. I was surprised when I went to have it filled and they filled the script with oxycodin. I haven't had to use it thankfully, but it's there if I need it. I was thinking I might store it in the fridge to slow the expiration. I don't know when this stone is going to act up again. Hopefully not for a long time ;)

My daughter had 4 impacted wisdom teeth removed this summer. Her dentist gave her a script for oxycodin which we never had filled. That just seemed like overkill to hubby and I. Apparently this is standard procedure for this doc. She had no pain and swelling that couldn't be handled just using 600 mg ibuprofin and ice.

[AngryAmish]

12. Oxycontin is supposed to be a safer narcotic

Really. It is time released in the stomach allowing less of a high and longer term pain relief.

But

all that goes out the window when you take seven or crush it up and then snort it. Then you really get high or die.


I think it is an unreasonably dangerous product because everyone knows how to misuse it.

on edit: kidney stones suck. Hope you are better.

[droidamus2]

19. Actually you got lucky

I have had a couple of kidney stones pass in the past and especially on the first one, scary when you don't know what the problem is, they refused to give my an 'strong' pain killers because they were afraid I might get addicted. They just said take some tylenol or something. For you that don't know over the counter medicines don't do much of anything to stop the pain of a kidney stone. On the other hand my significant other Susan has end stage kidney failure and in the early days after her diagnosis when we were trying at home dialysis and other stuff she ended up going to the emergency room a few times and it seemed they were always throwing some kind of pain medication prescription at her.

[valerief]

3. Regulations, schmegulations. Rich pharma kings need to get richer! nt

[tanyev]

4. Nobody's immune.

[droidamus2]

7. Is there a big disconnect here

Cocaine and heroin are illegal because they have been deemed dangerous (maybe correctly the dangerous part that is) so they have been designated by the powers that be with having no medical use. We are told that medical marijuana is illegal because the same authorities have said it is dangerous (how many people od on pot, zero) and with no medical use and has been 'approved' by the appropriate agencies. Yet, here we are being told that these safe (when used properly), approved drugs result in more OD deaths than the 'illegal' drugs. Personally, though I think many of the ODs may be from non-medical use, I think the 'non-medical' use is an excuse and coverup for the pharmaceutical companies and the police to explain away why 'legal' drugs are somehow better than 'illegal' drugs.

[RandiFan1290]

8. The Oxycontin Express

http://www.hulu.com/watch/100279/vanguard-the-oxycontin-express

Saw this on Current. Very enlightening .

edit to add:

In this Peabody Award-winning piece, correspondent Mariana van Zeller reports from South Florida, the epicenter of the prescription drug abuse epidemic in America. She follows the pills from the Sunshine State to Appalachia, where they are in high demand.

[WCGreen]

9. I take a couple vicadin every day...

Got a repaired hip that is really acting up 20 years after the accident.

It just takes the edge off.

I never do more than three for the day and won't take more than 1 at anytime.

I am a recovering AA guy, been sober for more than 25 years and I try hard to manage the drug.

I guess it would be hard if you look at getting a script of Vicadin as a gift from the drug gods.

They hand them out like candy in some places.

[Doctor_J]

15. I have a relative in the medical profession who says that exact thing

Friday afternoon is Vicodin Time, when the users come in for their refills. The office has to check around to make sure the patients aren't refilling too often or at different places. Some interesting excuses for needing a refill after getting a month's worth a week ago: "I had my pills in my pocket and fell in the river"

[LeftyMom]

11. I'd sure like to know where all these pill-happy doctors are.

A family friend died of cancer a few months back, and she couldn't even get a referral to see a pain management doctor, let alone adequate medication to keep her in reasonable comfort.

[Doctor_J]

13. I think oxy IS heroin

No? :shrug:

Whatever it is, it feels really good

[thecrow]

14. For those of us who suffer from long term chronic pain...

articles that raise the alarm such as this one does, is a foreteller of woes to come.
I agree that there are many pill mills, illegal street sales etc. and that is bad for the public health.

However, when you are in a situation (whether short term or ongoing) that requires medication
for pain, you need to have access unimpeded. Instead, people in real pain are being refused by their doctors because the doctor is afraid of being stygmatised (sp?) by the system as being a drug provider is just wrong on so many levels.
So it kind of sets up a situation where the shysters and illegal street trade gets more business from people in pain who can't afford the doctor visit, who think that if one vicodin is good, then 3 and a glass of wine is even better. Or they're kids or, or, or any of a number of reasons. This down the road makes it harder to get for the patients who are responsible and who are in serious pain.
Believe me, I have been in that situation and got told by my doctor, who was in the process of trying to find out WHY I was in such pain refused me pain meds.. The reason? Somebody had just published an article such as this one. Or the patient can only afford ONE doctor visit and then does no follow up. Or the very real situation of the economic hopelessness that has settled on this country and the do-it-youselves Dr. Kevorkians.

So though it cuts both ways, it also ONCE AGAIN underscores the need in our country for access to quality health care for all, not just the ones with money, and is a statement on the lack of quality of life, of a stagnant or a future stolen from us.

[queenjane]

18. Illegal drugs will soon be easier to get than legal ones

I work with docs who are reluctant to prescribe desparately needed pain meds for patients. News like this will make it worse.

Look what happened with OTC cold/sinus meds. I now have to sign a form to buy Nyquil, for f's sake! (Had to verify I was over 18--that was good for a laugh.) Cold meds, like Tylenol Flu capsules, that used to really work once upon a time, have now been reformulated and are mostly a waste of money. It's easier to get a federal security clearance than to buy anything with pseudophedrine (an exaggeration, but only slightly).