Researchers now say that Americans are consuming 80 percent of our world’s supply of painkillers. Prescriptions have also soared by 600 percent in the past decade, according to a recent article. Prescription painkillers have become a huge public health crisis in America because of their addictive nature and are being called an epidemic.
Purdue Pharma has created its new product, OxyNEO, which is a version of the popular painkiller OxyContin. This announcement comes just six months before patent protection expires in November for the drug manufacturer, meaning they will have exclusive profits up until 2027.
Many people in chronic pain are able to build up a resistance to opiate drugs until they reach the point where they become physically dependent on them or have to take them at levels not medically recommended in order to secure relief. People addicted to prescription painkillers can develop similar tolerances for these drugs.
OxyContin is brand name for a controlled substance called oxycodone. OxyContin is made by Purdue Pharma and is a prescription analgesic, or painkiller, that comes from a substance found in the opium poppy. Oxycodone belongs to a class of drugs that come from the poppy and act on a certain receptor in the brain. These [...]
Oftentimes patients have to work with multiple specialists to manage their ailments because each specialist has their strengths and weaknesses. A recent study in the fall 2011 issue of the Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions (JCEHP) compared the views of primary care physicians (PCP) and pain management and addiction specialists on the [...]
Substance abuse involving prescription painkillers has increased dramatically over the last decade. While many addicted to painkillers initiate use due to a legitimate chronic pain problems, many do not use the drugs as directed by doctors.
As laws change, so does the pursuit of controlled painkillers. Law enforcement in Florida have crack downed on so called “pill mills” or pain clinics where prior to last year, doctors could prescribe and fill prescriptions for their patients so they would not have to go to a pharmacy.
Common painkillers can increase the risk of heart attacks in those who are also taking medications for high blood pressure, according to a new study from the University of Florida. The name-brand painkillers that contribute to heart disease in these patients are Aleve, Advil, Motrin, and Celebrex. This study appears in the Journal of the [...]
In yet another celebrity rehab story involving prescription medications, Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane has voluntarily admitted himself into a center to treat what is reported to be a prescription painkiller addiction. Dane’s story, however, also makes headlines because it is a demonstration of recovery and addiction prevention during a time when national attention is [...]
