Deaths Linked to Prescription Painkillers on the Rise

 

A Growing Problem

Prescription painkiller abuse is a national epidemic, resulting in more overdose deaths each year than heroin and cocaine combined. In 2010, 38,329 people died of drug overdoses in the United States in 2010. More than 22,000 of these deaths involved prescription drugs. Three-quarters of prescription drug deaths were linked to prescription painkillers in the opioid drug family, including OxyContin and Vicodin.

Legal Drugs, Deadly Outcomes: How Prescription Painkillers Addiction Kills

22 million Americans admit to misusing prescription painkillers over the last decade. Many of these individuals are “accidental addicts” – they never intended to become addicted to painkillers, but now find themselves struggling with addiction and facing the possibility of a deadly overdose. Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. have more than tripled since 1990, fueled in part by an increase in prescription drug abuse. This increase in overdose deaths parallels a similar increase in sales: prescription drug sales have increased 300% since 1999. In 2008, prescription drugs were linked to 14,800 overdose deaths. The latest 2010 numbers indicate that in just two years, the number of overdose deaths increased by 48.6%.

Doctors Write 300 Million Prescriptions a Year for Painkillers.

 This is enough for every adult American to be medicated around-the-clock for 30 days. Many doctors prescribe medication to manage pain after an accident injury. Over time, individuals find themselves dependent on the medication in order to function. With this dependency comes new risks; individuals who are addicted to prescription painkillers may crush, grind or snort the pills in order to intensify their effects. Doing so increases the risk for overdose

Prescription Painkiller Abuse Leads to Overdose Fatalities & Emergency Room Visits 

Prescription painkillers work by temporarily interfering with the brain’s ability to process pain; when abused, these drugs create euphoric sensations similar to heroin. Prescription painkillers also slow down an individual’s breathing rate. When these drugs are abused, they can slow the respiration rate down so much that an individual may stop breathing all together, causing a fatal overdose.

For every one death from prescription painkillers:

• 10 people enter treatment for abuse
• 32 people visit emergency departments for overdose, misuse or abuse
• 130 people abuse or misuse prescription painkillers
• 825 people are non-medical users

Understanding the Problem: Why Prescription Painkillers are Deadly

Prescription painkiller abuse is a complex problem that includes patients, physicians, and pharmaceutical companies. Hydrocodone (Vicodin) is the most commonly prescribed drug in the U.S., surpassing even leading antibiotics and cholesterol medications. Oxycodone is also popular; sales for this medication surpassed $1 billion in 2012. As long as these drugs continue to be made widely available to patients, the risk for abuse remains high. The number of people seeking treatment for prescription painkiller abuse has quadrupled from 2004 to 2010.

Doctor Shopping is an Issue

Doctor shopping increases the risk for overdose. Individuals who are addicted to prescription painkillers frequently “doctor shop” in order to obtain medication. They may go to multiple physicians and pharmacies in order to obtain and fill multiple prescriptions. The majority of prescription painkillers that are associated with drug overdoses are first to individuals as legitimate prescriptions. These drugs may then be resold on a black market or stolen from family members and friends by individuals who are addicted.

Help Someone Who is Abusing Painkillers: Prompt Care to Prevent Overdose

If a loved one is abusing prescription painkillers, prompt care is essential to preventing a deadly overdose. Withdrawal symptoms can be very difficult to manage without medical supervision. With treatment, however, prescription painkiller addiction can be successfully overcome.