According to a 2008 study, which is appearing this week in the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, almost all abusers of opioid painkillers obtain the drugs from a friend or family member who had a prescription.
The study, conducted in Utah, involved 5,300 adults. Of the 2 percent of adults who reported using an opioid painkiller not prescribed to them, 97 percent reported obtaining the drug from a friend or family member. And most of the time the friend or family member gave them the drug willingly.
Report co-author Erin Johnson, project coordinator for the Utah Department of Health's Pain Medication Management and Education Program, commented: "We found that one in five patients are prescribed opioids and the majority of those have leftover medication. With all these excess pills, there is a great likelihood of misuse and abuse that could result from that. So dispose of your leftover pain medication immediately."
According to the report by Johnson and her team, 85.2 percent of people who used an opioid without a prescription said the drug was given to them by someone who did have a prescription, and 9.8 percent said they took the medication without the knowledge or permission of the owner. Only 4.1 percent said they had bought the drug.
(Source: businessweek.com)
Labels: prescription drugs, painkillers
Posted By: Aspen Education Group