Preventing Accidental Prescription Drug Overdose
Posted on February 17, 2012Pain pills prescribed to help patients sometimes end up killing them. Over 24,000 Americans died from accidental drug overdoses in 2006. Most of these overdoses are from opiate prescription painkillers.
According to Dr. Richard Miech, head of the Health and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Colorado, Denver, this phenomenon spans all ages from children through senior citizens, with the largest group of overdoses being those between ages 40 and 60. Careful consumption and dispensing of these drugs could reduce these fatalities.
Proactive Patients Heighten Their Safety
Individuals who discuss their health with their doctor, rather than just sit back and listen to them are doing themselves a service. When patients actively work with their doctor in their healing process, the better the doctor can help them.
A patient’s questions, comments, and requests can help them manage their prescription intake. The following can help a patient work with their doctor to avoid a prescription drug overdose:
- Give the doctor a list of all current medications- Patients should update their medication list as soon as it changes. They should call the doctor immediately and not wait until the next appointment, which by that time they might have forgotten about changes.
- Research medications-Patients should be their own doctors to a degree and research how the different drugs they take might have dangerous reactions.
- Request non-opiate painkillers- Opiates such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and methadone account for 75 percent of deaths due to prescription painkiller overdose. Patients should ask for an alternative to opiate painkillers if it is possible.
- Request a small dose and small supply- Small doses help prevent addiction and overdose. Having only a few days’ supply or a week’s supply of pills, rather than a month reduces the likelihood that a patient will forget how many they have taken over a month’s time.
- Report Side Effects-Patients should watch for side effects like nausea, headache, vomiting, or heart problems.
Prevention Strategies
Patients who work with their doctor on a safe plan for pain management can help themselves take medicine properly. There are other habits patients can do to help maintain this safety for themselves or for a family member:
- Keep a schedule of all medications
- Keep medications locked up from curious children and teens who may want to experiment with them or trade them with friends
- Fill a pill box for themselves or for an elderly relative
- Use prescriptions exactly for what they are prescribed
- Keep their prescription drugs to themselves– nearly 5 percent of Americans, from teens through adults, use prescription drugs to get high
Recent research states that accidental overdose of prescription drugs is becoming more common. With more awareness on the part of doctors and their patients, this growing trend could be halted.
