Prescription drug monitoring databases are assisting states in battling the opioid epidemic, according to The Wall Street Journal. A recent study found there was more than a 30 percent decrease in the rate of prescribing Schedule II opioids (such as Oxycontin and Percocet) in two dozen states with such monitoring…
Federal Effort to Curb Painkiller Prescribing Faces Opposition
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) face stiff opposition to its effort to reduce prescribing of opioid painkillers, the Associated Press reports. Critics of new prescribing guidelines include drug manufacturers, industry-funded groups and some public health officials. The guidelines, which were originally scheduled to be released this month,…
Heroin’s Low Cost and Easy Access Attract People Addicted to Painkillers: Study
A study of people addicted to painkillers who began using heroin confirms that many of them were drawn to heroin’s low cost and wide availability. Researchers surveyed 15,000 people being treated for drug addiction, and conducted in-depth interviews with 267 of them. They found almost half of those interviewed were…
Critics of Decision on OxyContin Use for Children Say It Could Increase Painkiller Abuse
Critics of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to approve use of OxyContin in certain children as young as 11 say the move could increase painkiller abuse, The Wall Street Journal reports. Some elected officials and addiction specialists say the decision could increase access to OxyContin, which in turn…
Study Finds 75% Rise in Heroin Use in Whites Who Abuse Prescription Opioids
A new study finds heroin use among people who abuse prescription opioids has risen, particularly among whites. From 2008 to 2011, the study found a 75 percent increase in heroin use among whites who abuse painkillers such as OxyContin or Vicodin, HealthDay reports. Researchers from the Columbia University Mailman School…