For the past decade, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been documenting a dramatic increase in unintended prescription painkiller deaths. During this time, sales of painkiller drugs have also significantly risen. Now research conducted by the CDC reports a national epidemic of accidental painkiller deaths that may be due to prescription painkiller abuse.
The study, published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, examined unintended deaths from opioid painkillers and opioid analgesic sales data from the US Drug Enforcement Administration. CDC researchers analyzed data from CDC death certificates on unintended deaths from opioid painkillers including oxycondone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and methadone, and opioid analgesic sales.
The researchers found that the number of accidental opioid deaths increased 91.2 percent from 1999 to 2002. In comparison, the number of accidental opioid deaths increased 5.3 percent from 1979 to 1990. Furthermore, the number of accidental heroin and cocaine deaths increased 12.4 percent and 22.8 percent, respectively, from 1999 to 2002. Findings also revealed that the increase in accidental painkiller deaths matched the increase in sales for each type of painkiller.
"A national epidemic of drug poisoning deaths began in the 1990s," the study authors write. "Prescriptions for opioid analgesics also increased in this time frame and may have inadvertently contributed to the increases in drug poisoning deaths."
REFERENCES:
1. Paulozzi LJ et al. Increasing deaths from opioid analgesics in the United States. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2006 Sep;15(9):618-27.
Posted by Elaine Gavalas on November 29, 2006 02:57 PM
