Health organizations, have launched a national initiative to educate the public about the dangers of the use of prescription drugs, and the potential for abuse and addiction. With psychological addiction, there is a preoccupation with obtaining and using drugs that persists despite the consequences.
Physical dependence, which is sometimes unavoidable, develops
when an individual is exposed to a drug at a high enough dose
for long enough that the body adapts and develops a tolerance
for the drug. This means that higher doses are needed to achieve
a drug's original effects. If the patient stops taking the drug,
withdrawal will occur.
But the development of physical dependence doesn't necessarily
lead to addiction in all cases; the individual can't just stop
taking the drug; the dose has to be tapered, a method to gradually
decrease a drug's amount over time to prevent withdrawal reactions.
Physician supervision and appropriate use is critical for all prescription drugs. Doctors consider a patient's diagnosis and whether non-addictive treatments should be considered first. Very strong opiate drugs play a critical role in pain management.
Complicating matters is the fact that some physicians are
vastly undertrained in identifying drug abuse. The average physician
gets little training in drug abuse, mainly because drug abuse
has only been recently recognized as a health problem.
One recent survey from the National Center on Addiction and Substance
Abuse at Columbia University in New York City indicated that
nearly half of primary care physicians report having difficulty
talking about substance abuse with patients. To educate health-care
providers about the risks of OxyContin, Purdue Pharma of Stamford,
Conn., manufacturer of the product, has issued a warning in the
form of a "Dear Health Care Professional" letter, which
will be distributed to physicians, pharmacists, and other health-care
professionals. The letter highlights the problems associated
with OxyContin abuse and explains the changes to the labeling,
including proper prescribing information.
For some this warning may have come too late.
OxyContin Abuse
Abuse of the prescription pain reliever OxyContin has escalated over the last year, particularly in rural areas of the eastern United States. FDA experts are discussing strategies to curb OxyContin abuse with the drug's manufacturer Purdue Pharma L.P., Stamford, Conn., and several federal agencies, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. At the same time, the FDA is working closely with Purdue Pharma to ensure that patients who need OxyContin still have access to it.
The FDA approved OxyContin in 1995 to treat chronic, moderate to severe pain. The drug is designed to be swallowed whole to slowly release the drug's active ingredient, oxycodone, over a 12-hour period. But abusers often chew the tablets, crush them and snort the powder, or dissolve them in water and inject the drug for a fast high. OxyContin abusers sometimes commit fraud and theft to sustain their habits. Forgery or alteration of prescriptions is known to occur.
In some cases OxyContin can be obtained easily in clinics; for a brief visit and the appropriate presenting complaint, patients may leave with a prescription for OxyContin. Many physicians are not formally trained to identify drug-seeking behavior.
Several deaths have resulted from OxyContin abuse in Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia, though the exact number is unknown. Some of these deaths have been associated with OxyContin along with other pain relievers, drugs for anxiety and sleep disorders, marijuana, and alcohol.
Purdue Pharma announced in May that it is temporarily suspending shipments of the highest dosage of the drug (160 milligram tablet) until it has studied the illicit use of OxyContin further.
The powerful prescription pain reliever has become a hot new street drug that has resulted in more than 120 deaths nationwide, including 59 in Kentucky, six in Ohio, and 28 in Virginia so far this year, according to reports from U.S. Attorney Gregg Wood, Health Care Fraud Investigator for the Western District of Virginia.
For many people in severe pain, such as cancer patients and headache sufferers, OxyContin has been their "miracle drug."
But, the problem is that too many people, mainly youngsters, are improperly using OxyContin, a brand name for oxycodone.
"It's the so-called poor man's heroin," Capt. Michael Holsapple of the Kokomo Police Department said.
Since last year, police say the prescription drug used mainly for chronic pain has become a popular drug and has resulted in numerous investigations, arrests and one near death.
"It's been a problem in the community and I believe it may be a precursor for heroin looking down the road," said Holsapple, who heads up the Howard County Drug Task Force. "And the availability is causing robberies across the nation. Yes, it's a bad problem."
The key to OxyContin is its timed-release formula, which releases the drug into the blood stream over a period of
Because of the abuse, legislators are beginning to restrict access to the drug.
Doses range from 10 mg to 160 mg depending on the patient and the illness. On the street, the pills range from $5 to as much as $20 a pill.
It's the new thing abusers just don't understand it can kill.
In April, the dangers of the drug hit home in Kokomo when a Kokomo High School student overdosed and nearly died after taking OxyContin and other drugs, police reported. Two students who allegedly supplied the drug were arrested on charges of dealing OxyContin in the case.
Use Prescription Drugs Safely
1. Always follow medication directions carefully.
2. Don't increase or decrease doses without talking with your
doctor.
3. Don't stop taking medication on your own.
4. Don't crush or break pills.
5. Be clear about the drug's effects on driving and other daily
tasks.
6. Learn about the drug's potential interactions with alcohol,
other prescription medicines, and over-the-counter medicines.
7. Inform your doctor about your past history of substance abuse.
8. Don't use other people's prescription medications and don't
share yours.
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