Fatal Overdoses Often Involve Methadone, Washington Study Finds
November 11, 2009
Research Summary
Methadone was involved in 64 percent of fatal overdoses on prescription opiate drugs in the state of Washington, more than double the rate of overdoses on oxycodone or hydrocodone, according to a new report from state and federal health officials.
Reuters reported Nov. 4 that researchers who analyzed prescription opiate overdose deaths in Washington between 2004 and 2007 found that 23 percent of deaths were due to oxycodone overdoses, while 14 percent involved hydrocodone.
The study found that 60 percent of victims were men, most were middle-aged (ages 45-54), and that Medicaid recipients were 5.7 times more likely to die of an overdose than non-recipients, possibly because Medicaid patients are twice as likely to get prescriptions for opiate-based painkillers.
The findings were published in the Oct. 30, 2009 issue of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Painkiller Overdose Deaths Rising, Study Says
December 11, 2008
Research Summary
A study published in December 2008 suggests that deaths from accidental overdoses of prescription medications in the U.S. are on the rise, U.S. News and World Report reported Dec. 9.
The study, which focused on accidental deaths in the state of West Virginia, also reported a pattern of "doctor shopping" for painkillers, as well as deaths from medications that were not used as prescribed.
"This epidemic of prescription drug overdose involves a substantial amount of substance abuse, and it affects not just West Virginia, but particularly rural areas of the country," said lead study author Aron Hall of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who called West Virginia "just the tip of the iceberg."
The study reported that 67.1 percent of West Virginia's 295 fatal overdose victims in 2006 were men, and 91.9 percent were between the ages of 18 and 54. About 63 percent of the victims did not have a prescription for painkillers.
The researchers noted that women doctor-shopped more than men and said that younger people were more likely to use painkillers for non-medical reasons. Opioids accounted for 93.2 percent of the deaths, with methadone responsible for 40 percent of these fatalities.
"Opiates are generally very safe if used appropriately, but opiate abuse and dependence is an illness with high mortality rates," said Adam Bisaga, an associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. "So the issue is not with the medication, but rather the detection and treatment of those who abuse and become addicted to opiates."
The report is published in the Dec. 10, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Methadone Blamed for Rising Drug Poisoning Deaths
April 4, 2008
News Summary
A Report published in March 2008, said overdoses of methadone prescribed as a pain medication are the biggest reason for a spike in poisoning deaths in the U.S., USA Today reported April 2.
The National Center for Health Statistics released a report showing that poisoning deaths outnumbered deaths caused by firearms for the second straight year in 2005. Accidental poisoning is now the second-leading cause of injury death in the U.S., trailing only automobile crashes.
Death rates from car crashes and firearms have remained relatively steady, but poisoning deaths have been rising, mostly because of narcotic drugs. Methadone overdose deaths alone have risen 500 percent between 1999 and 2005.
"When most people think of poisoning, they think of a kid getting under the sink and drinking Drano," says researcher Lois Fingerhut. "That does happen, but it doesn't cause most of the deaths we're talking about now."
Most of the methadone deaths cited by poison-control experts are related to prescription pills, not the liquid version of the drug given to opiate addicts in methadone clinics.
The report was published in the March 2008 edition of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Health E-Stats. |
