A recent Silive report shows this is a significant problem on Staten Island. In fact, according to data collected on the area, doctors and medical professionals completed nearly 115,000 prescriptions for the painkiller oxycodone last year alone. This number is far higher per capita than any other borough, demonstrating the heavy opiate use in the area.

According to the state Department of Health prescription data on Staten Island, 115,000 prescriptions is the equivalent of one prescription for every four to five people living there. While many of these prescriptions do go to repeat patients who are seeking refills each month, there are still 2,200 prescriptions filled every week.

With this growing problem come the headlines of addicts using forgery, trickery and theft to get their hands on the pills they need to feed their addiction. Many doctor shop to find the physician who will write the prescription for their phantom pain.

Numbers such as these support the argument for a nationwide monitoring system that can track the prescriptions given to individuals. While trickery and forgery are likely to still occur, it would at least provide medical professionals with the means to track the prescription-related activities of individuals trying to circumvent the system.
 

Administered intravenously, by mouth or liquid, Demerol is a synthetic drug commonly used during childbirth and before or during certain surgeries. Formally known as meperidine hydrocholoride, Demerol dulls the pain centers of the brain. Side effects range from tremors and clammy skin to muscle weakness, reduced heart rate and a sense of confusion. It may also cause dizziness, skin itching, headache or vomiting.

Like other habit-forming narcotic drugs, Demerol is not new on the market. It emerged nearly 80 years ago, during the 1930s, and was first intended for muscle cramps or spasms. A street name for Demerol is “demmies,” and the drug is popular for its sedation properties and similarity to morphine.

When used for illegal purposes, the drug can be injected, taken as a pill or breathed in through the nose. Demerol may have gained new attention in 2009, when an ABC News article reported that the late superstar Michael Jackson had a longtime addiction to the drug, as stated by Jackson’s previous video producer.

The sedative and pain-relieving capabilities of Demerol set in quickly, in as little as 10 minutes after a dose is taken. A feeling of euphoria can also occur because the drug can activate areas of the brain responsible for pleasure. Adding to the addictive nature of Demerol is its relative low cost on the street – sometimes as little as $3 to $6.

One significant side effect of Demerol is a slowed respiratory system, which can occur with cardiac arrest or shock. An overdose may cause muscle weakness, problems with breathing, significant drowsiness and a drop in heart rate. An overdose of Demerol can also bring on a coma or fainting.

If alcohol is consumed while taking Demerol, serious side effects or death can occur. People who already have seizures or convulsive disorders are not recommended to take Demerol, and it should be given under very careful observation to elderly people.

Not only are the pleasurable effects of Demerol similar to morphine, so is its addictive nature. Marked tiredness and depression can be experienced by patients during withdrawal. A gradual tapering of the drug is recommended rather than an abrupt stoppage.

Patients addicted to Demerol may have strong urges for the drug, will need to keep raising their dosage amounts and will show signs of withdrawal when it is discontinued. Tolerance is also a factor in Demerol consumption, as patients will need more and more to receive favorable responses. The severity of withdrawal from Demerol is connected with the person’s level of usage, and the physical withdrawal period can last as long as ten days.

A detoxification clinic is recommended for Demerol recovery, especially one that combines doctor supervision with cognitive therapy.

It is suspected that the tragedy that befell Anna Nicole Smith was one born of dependence on substances that were intended to provide relief, but never should have been taken together. At the age of 39, Smith died from what authorities refer to as an “accidental” overdose of sleeping pills. At the time of ingestion of the sleeping pills, Smith already had a number of sedatives in her system, increasing the risk of adverse side effects.

In fact, autopsy reports indicated Smith had as many as nine different prescription drugs in her body at the time of death. The levels of each medication were said to be of therapeutic amount, yet each one was delivered in a bottle with a warning about taking it with the other medications found.

The medications listed on her autopsy report include chloral hydrate, a sedative to treat insomnia; Valium, used to relieve anxiety, among other things; Benadryl, an antihistamine that also happens to help induce sleep; Lorazepam, an anti-anxiety medication; Klonopin, used to control seizures and to relieve anxiety; Temazepan, normally used in the short term to induce sleep; Oxazepam, used to relieve anxiety or control agitation caused by the withdrawal of alcohol; and Nordiazepam and Tamazepam, which are active metabolites of Valium.

Reports show that not one of these substances was taken in excessive amounts, yet many of them should have never been ingested together. For instance, Valium, Lorazepam, Klonopin, Oxazepam, and Temazepam are all part of the benzodiazepine class of drugs. They are designed to slow down the central nervous system and should never be combined because of the risk of serious consequences or death.

In the case of Anna Nicole Smith, physicians who had treated the celebrity were taken to trial after her death, accused of putting Smith in danger. The problem with such a case, however, is that the victim is no longer around to tell her side of the story. And, while physicians may have acted irresponsibly in prescribing medications without verifying if she was taking others, the ultimate responsibility still lies with Smith.

This case demonstrates the power a nationwide prescription monitoring program could have in regulating the number of drugs prescribed to one individual. While it is true that the rich and famous may still be able to buy whatever cocktails they wish to fend off their own demons, the reality is the system now in place still allows the addict to secure whatever they want to feed their addiction.
 

A recent Science Daily release captured data gathered by University at Buffalo physicians who found that 31 out of 75 patients hospitalized for opioid detoxification developed their addiction through a standard prescription for pain. Another 24 individuals began their addiction with a friend’s left-over prescription pills or those found in their parent’s medicine cabinet. The remaining 20 seeking treatment originally found their fix on the street.

Even when the beginnings were innocent enough, 92 percent of these individuals eventually found what they needed to feed their addiction on the street. The primary drug of choice was heroin as it was less expensive and often more effective than prescription medications. Most users reported they continued their use as a way to erase emotional stress and pain; feel normal; or feel like a better person.

Findings such as these suggest that prescription medications are simply the first step to opioid abuse and an addiction to illicit drugs. It is also suggested that those individuals who use prescriptions illegally may be at a greater risk of heroin use and abuse than those who use the medication according to the law. Additional research is needed, yet this study suggests that getting to the source could be the best place for information.
 

Aside from drug companies, pharmacies are benefiting from the increase in demand on drugs. However, like doctors, the number of licensed pharmacists has not risen enough to adequately serve all patients who need to fill prescriptions. These days, pharmacists are just as busy as doctors, possibly more so. In addition, pharmacists who fail to fulfill their role of prescription drug counselor can be as dangerous as an incompetent doctor.

Unless administered in the hospital by competent medical staff, the taking of prescription drugs is also one of the most dangerous forms of medical treatment available today. More dangerous than brain surgery, you ask? Absolutely.

In order to be the most effective, an the least dangerous, a prescription drug needs to be taken as directed by a doctor – a doctor who is aware of all other medications a patient is taking and which other medications, if any, the patient is allergic to. However, studies have shown that outpatient compliance with prescription dosing instructions is abysmal and, thus, many drugs are not taken precisely as directed. Further, it is now a rarity for one doctor to be aware of a patient’s current prescription drug catalogue.

In a perfect world, each patient would see only one doctor and obtain prescription medications from only one pharmacy. However, at least in the US, these scenarios are less and less common. Even if a patient sees just one primary physician at a time, he or she may also be prescribed medications by a specialist or, if the regular doctor is unavailable, a clinic or emergency room. These substitute professionals rely on patient testimony in order to determine allergies and possible dangerous interactions. Unfortunately, not all patients are able to accurately report the details of their current prescriptions. Some simply fail to remember a particular drug when under the pressure of an unfamiliar medical setting or emergency situation. Others may decline to reveal information if they are addicted to certain drugs and are seeking a fix.

Proper prescription drug information does not flow just from patient to doctor. Upon prescribing a drug, a doctor would ideally describe to the patient potential side effects, dangerous drug interactions, dosing instructions and contingency plans, such as what to do if a dose is missed. Given the current state of medical care in the United States, doctors rarely take the time to accomplish these goals today.

Instead, doctors are relying more and more on pharmacists to fill the role of prescription drug counselor that. Doctors not only accept the fact that pharmacists will handle patient notification, they now expect it to happen and rely on the fact that it will– a dangerous practice indeed.

It is commonly believed in the medical community that experienced pharmacists are better qualified than doctors to inform patients of essential information regarding prescription drugs, given the sheer number of hours spent studying drug effectiveness and applying interaction formulas. Because of this, many states now require pharmacists to offer prescription drug counseling sessions when patients purchase prescription drugs. However, despite these regulations, more and more patients experience serious side effects or actually overdose from the interaction of incompatible medications. Given the regulations, how can this be possible?

The simple fact is that many patients to not receive even the most basic prescription drug counseling. Although pharmacists are required to offer counseling, most do not approach the customer and offer to discuss the prescription. Instead, a clerk or cashier typically asks the customer if they have any “questions” and, when they don’t, instructs the customer to sign a form that confirms that counseling was offered. A recently study found that 50% of patients in California over that age of 65 waive their right to receive counseling on prescriptions. Further, written information distributed with the prescription is typically inadequate, failing to address all potential side effects, dangerous interactions, and contingency plans.

A study conducted by the University of Florida and recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine revealed that customers who filled prescriptions for lisinopril (blood-pressure) and metformin (diabetes type 2) were woefully underprepared by pharmacists before taking the drugs. Further, the study found the written information given to customers, such as dosing instructions, to be inadequate or too complicated for the layperson to understand. Approximately 5% of pharmacies didn’t give any written information at all.

Before bringing a prescription home from the pharmacy, all patients should ask the pharmacist about (not a clerk or cashier) what medication they are being prescribed (including the generic name, if any), what the medication is used to treat, how the medication should be taken (with food, sitting down, on an empty stomach, etc), when the medication should be taken, how the medicine is supposed to work (to prepare for side-effects and to be able to recognize effectiveness), what to do if a dose is missed, when to stop taking the medication (i.e. when it’s gone, on a particular day, or take only as needed), issues surrounding improper or premature stopping of medication, potential side effects, potential interactions with other medications, and proper storage and disposal.

Even if a pharmacist properly counsels a patient on the dosing instructions, side-effects, and potential interactions of a particular drug, many states have not yet developed a system to provide pharmacists with a list of all other drugs a patient is taking. If a patient obtains prescriptions from more than one pharmacy, and fails to notify the pharmacist of any other medications he or she is on, the pharmacist will be unable to properly identify all potentially dangerous situations.

Given the important role pharmacists now play in prescription drug counseling, choose your pharmacist wisely. If your pharmacist does not personally approach you to offer individualized prescription drug counseling, you should find another pharmacist.
 

This anti-epileptic medication – also known as an anticonvulsant – is used in such situations as it affects chemicals and nerves in the body that play a part in the creation of the seizure or some types of pain. While it is generally recommended that the medication only be used on individuals 12 years of age or older, it is also used to treat children aged 3 to 12 years who suffer from partial seizures.

While gabapentin is known to be effective in the treatment of seizures, it is not without the potential of negative consequences. It has been known to cause the patients to have thoughts about suicide. New or worsening depression can exist, as well as changes in mood or symptoms. Any changes can be a signal to a bigger problem and the doctor should be notified.

Gabapentin and its brand name derivatives are also known to be a source of addiction. Over the past few years, gabapentin’s brand name counterpart, neurontin has been one of the best selling drugs in the world. Unfortunately, 70 to 90 percent of the prescriptions for this medication were sold off-label for exploitation.

As a result, the medication – in all forms – has been prescribed for uses such as bipolar disorder, reflex sympathetic dystrophy (rsd), migraines, pain syndromes and attention deficit disorder (add). Due to this higher level of prescribing the medication, it is readily available for those who need it and those who seek its other “benefits.”

When gabapentin is abruptly stopped, it can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety or seizures. Those seeking to avoid such symptoms may continue taking the medication, thereby building a dependency. As this dependency continues to build, the individual becomes addicted and finds that it is very difficult to function without the medication.

If the addiction is the result of the use of gabapentin to treat mood disorders, anxiety or tardive dyskinesia (as it has been prescribed), there are even bigger problems to consider. For one, there are very few systematic studies that have established the safety or effectiveness in using gabapentin for such treatments. If the chance of addiction is increased through the improper use of the drug, the patient is at heightened risk of complications.

As with any condition and any medication, the individual will do well to check to see that the medication they have been prescribed is approved for the treatment of any condition from which they suffer. Doctors are not held according to the standards of the FDA and due diligence must be on the part of the patient.
 

According to a Courier Mail report, this powerful patch contains fentanyl, a potent narcotic painkiller that is measured at 100 times more powerful than morphine. This patch is now becoming a popular source of drug abuse.

Queensland Health researchers have reported that when fentanyl was allowed for the treatment of chronic, non-cancer pain in 2006, the cost of the medication reduced and its usage increased. As medical professionals are warning about the increased abuse of fentanyl, OxyContin continues to be a drug of focus.

Codeine has been removed from a number of medications in order to try and thwart abusers from diverting these drugs for recreational use. Such users have instead turned to prescription opioids as they have been proven as cheaper and safer, as well as easily accessible.

For one thing, general practitioners are prescribing such medications as much as 10 times more often than morphine. Some patients are finding that they must take up to eight times as much as the safe dosage of their medication to meet their addiction. Many of these users are risking overdose in an attempt to satisfy an addiction.
 

A new report, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, highlights the practice among teens of sharing prescription drugs. Many teens are at risk of experiencing serious side effects or having a health problem go undiagnosed thanks to widespread drug sharing.

Researchers surveyed 592 teenagers between 12 and 17 years old across the United States and discovered that 20 percent reported that they had loaned a prescription drug to a friend. A similar percentage of teens had borrowed drugs.

Among the more common drugs being passed around are allergy drugs and pain relievers, such as narcotics like Oxycontin and Darvocet. Teens are also sharing antibiotics, acne treatments like Accutane and drugs for psychological ailments like depression and anxiety.

About three-quarters of teens borrowed drugs from a friend or relative in lieu of an appointment with a doctor, thus self-diagnosing and then self-prescribing an uninformed solution for their ailment. Some of the teens did eventually see a doctor, but 40 percent of them failed to tell the doctor about the borrowed medication.

Teens reported that in many cases the borrowed medications had no written instructions for safe dosage. Over a third of the teens who borrowed prescriptions experienced a problem with the drug, such as an allergic reaction or another type of side effect.

Teens did not invent the practice of sharing medication. In fact, previous research has reported that close to 40 percent of adults have loaned prescription drugs to a family member or friend.

As Dr. Richard Goldsworthy of Academic Edge, Inc., in Bloomington, Indiana said in a written statement, this is the first time that adolescents have been asked about their sharing of prescription drugs.

The findings show the widespread nature of prescription sharing among teens. The study may encourage doctors to have conversations with teenagers about the importance of taking prescriptions only under the supervision of a doctor. Once a teenager is educated about the dangers of sharing prescription drugs, they may think twice about being casual with prescription drugs.

Researchers are also encouraging the possibility of including drug-sharing warnings on the packaging for prescriptions. A warning on the packaging may catch the attention of someone reaching for a medication to share with a friend or family member and cause them to reconsider.

Psychostimulants are generally illegal drugs whose use violates the law, or are prescription drugs monitored by the Controlled Substances Act. These drugs include methamphetamines, amphetamines, crystal, base and speed; and while most of these stimulants are in the amphetamines family, they can be mixed to create a one-of-a-kind drug.

When smoked, chewed or snorted, these drugs cause the central nervous system to stimulate, resulting in an increased heart rate and breathing pace. Users are also known to acquire a boost of confidence that leaves them feeling very vulnerable to new ideas. The endurance in the body increases, leaving the user with the inability to sleep.

Once these psychostimulants are used over a long period of time, a number of changes can occur. The user becomes dependent on the drug; always wanting a little more to achieve the desired effect. Violence can break out for no reason, leaving the user very upset or causing a clash with those around him.

Depression is also a common side effect when psychostimulants are taken over a long period of time. Eating disorders are also known to occur, as well as problems with personal and professional relationships.

While the effects of psychostimulants can be very detrimental to the individual, it can leave one questioning why they are these so easily prescribed to children to help “cure” their ADD and ADHD. Are the benefits received from these medications enough to outweigh the risk of dependence and abuse?

According to a recent study, stimulants used on children with such disorders produce effects that differ greatly from that of illicit psychostimulants. The child who was once hyperactive and could not sit still becomes a child who is unable to express any boredom, frustration, distress or discomfort that he or she feels. This short-term reaction allows the parents or teachers to experience some relief from the special attentive needs of that child, but does not deliver a cure.

While the short-term effects of stimulants seem to help in the moment, there is nothing beneficial long-term. They do not help the child’s efforts in academics or athletics, but merely lower their energy levels. There are many in the medical field who believe schools and parents should look to help the child out on a personal level rather than prescribing medicine to cure the current problem.Some researchers have found that neurofeedback can be highly effective in the treatment of ADHD, making it possible to stop these powerful stimulant drugs altogether.

Overall, the effects of psychostimulants seem to be negative. While some of the drugs are used as a way to lower stress and become carefree, others are given to children to “cure” their behavioral issues. Either way, this class of drugs has generated significant debate in the medical field and a final conclusion has yet to be reached.
 

In 1998, prescription drug abuse among Americans ages 12 and older was at 2.2% of admissions nationwide. By 2008, the percentage quadrupled to 9.8% of admissions. This dramatic rise in the abuse of prescription pain relievers swept across all genders, ages, ethnicities, education and employment levels, and regional areas.

In 1998, 1.8% of male admissions had reported abuse of prescription pain relievers. By 2008, this percentage increased to 8.1% of male admissions. In 1998, 3.5% of female admissions reported abuse of prescription pain medications, but by 2008, this percentage rose to 13.3%.

Admissions for all races and ethnic groups showed steep rises for reported prescription drug abuse. Caucasian admissions for prescription drug abuse rose from 3.2% in 1998 to 14.4% in 2008; African American admissions rose from 0.8% to 2.0%; Hispanic admissions rose from 0.8% to 3.1%; and Asian American admissions rose from 3.6% to 5.2%. Most dramatically, however, was a six-fold increase in admissions for prescription drug abuse among American Indians–from 1.3% in 1998 to 8.0% by 2008.

Although all age groups demonstrated an incline in admissions for prescription drug abuse, those between the ages of 18 to 34 had the highest rates over the ten-year period. Those between 18–24 years of age rose from 1.5% of admissions in 1998 to 13.7% in 2008. Admissions aged 25–34 years reported prescription drug abuse in 2.1% of admissions in 1998, and 13.5% of admissions in 2008.

Admissions of adults ages 18 and older in 2008 grew three to four times the amount of admissions from 1998, regardless of their educational level and employment status. Statistics from other age groups showed alarming increases as well, such as 0.6% of admissions ages 12–17 in 1998 rose to 5.2% in 2008, admissions ages 35 to 44 years rose from 2.9% to 7.6%, and admissions ages 55–64 years rose from 1.9% to 6.1%.

The rate of admissions for individuals who were either employed or unemployed at the time they entered treatment (regardless of whether they were full time, part time, unemployed, or not in the labor force) displayed almost identical statistics, as all categories of employment increased more than fourfold. Similarly, admissions for prescription drug abuse from all educational levels increased by 350–500% within the ten-year period.

Adults with an education beyond high school represented the highest amount of admissions (3.8% of admissions in 1998, and 12.1% in 2008), but adults who had never received an education beyond middle school saw the largest percentage increase, from 1.9% in 1998 to 9.7% in 2008–a five-fold increase. Furthermore, admissions for prescription drug abuse quadrupled in nearly all regions of the U.S., including the Northeast (from 2.2% to 11.2%), Midwest (2.1% to 8.2%), South (3.0% to 13.9%), but tripled in the West (1.9% to 6.1%).

Nonmedical use of prescription pain medications is more than a public safety hazard, it has become an epidemic. While all these medications have the potential to assist healing and alleviate pain, many Americans have made prescription drug abuse a recreational endeavor, and the illegal drug market is making its biggest market on prescription drugs than ever before.

According to SAMHSA, however, 55.9% of those admitted to substance abuse treatment for prescription drug abuse report that they obtained the medications from a family member or friend for free. Another 8.9% admit that they purchased the drugs from a friend or family member. Many drug addicts and dealers perform ‘doctor shopping’ to score multiple prescriptions for pain relieving medications and obtain their prescriptions from various pharmacies throughout their home state or beyond.

Prescription drug monitoring programs have proven to be a valuable resource for law enforcement and medical professionals alike in their efforts to reduce prescription drug diversion, but many of these state programs lack enough funds to run their programs efficiently. The abuse of prescription drugs has clogged the nation’s health care system, from insurance, emergency care, to medical resources, and also depletes the nation’s economy due to loss of productivity, increased law enforcement, rising criminal justice, and soaring rates of overdose deaths.

SAMHSA’s study is based on the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), a national database that collects information on the primary, secondary, and tertiary substances of abuse among addiction treatment facilities’ admissions ages 12 and older. The study was sponsored by the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Drug Enforcement Administration.