Prescription Drug Abuse

Most teens who misuse prescription opioids are seeking pain relief, a new study concludes. University of Michigan researchers found four out of five teens who misused opioids said they did so to relieve pain.

There are no easy answers to solving the opioid addiction epidemic, according to experts at the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence annual meeting this week. Thomas McLellan, CEO of the Treatment Research Institute, told NBC Philadelphia a multi-faceted approach is needed.

Many of the more than two million veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from both pain and post-traumatic stress disorder. Often they are treated with opioid painkillers, which can be a dangerous mix with mental illness because of the risk of addiction, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Americans turned in 647,211 pounds, or 324 tons, of expired and unwanted medications for safe and proper disposal during the most recent National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on October 26. The event was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

An online training program designed to reduce prescription drug abuse shows promise in early results, HealthCanal reports.

Ten percent of 14- to 20-year-olds treated in the emergency room for any reason say they have misused prescription drugs at least once in the last year, a new study finds.

Maine has become the first state to allow prescription drugs to be purchased abroad, CBS News reports.

Baby boomers appear to be carrying their substance abuse habits with them as they age, according to a behavioral health expert at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. David W. Oslin, MD, says binge drinking and prescription drug use are particular concerns in this population.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer of New York is calling on the Drug Enforcement Administration to establish a buy-back program for unused prescription drugs.

Addiction treatment experts urged New Jersey legislators last week to take steps to curb opioid abuse, including expanding what doctors are required to learn about addiction, and making participation in the state’s prescription drug monitoring program mandatory.

Legislators in Ohio, which has experienced a surge in opioid overdose deaths, are calling for stricter standards for prescribing opioids for pain, The Columbus Dispatch reports.

With his new documentary, “Out of Reach,” filmmaker Cyrus Stowe, a senior at a Dallas high school, set out to uncover the growing problem of friends sharing and abusing prescription medications in his hometown.

States are trying a variety of strategies to fight prescription drug abuse, from tightening regulations on pain management clinics to increasing access to prescription monitoring program databases, USA Today reports.

A new report finds many states do not have effective strategies in place to fight prescription drug abuse, CNN reports. The report found 28 states and Washington, D.C. scored six or less out of 10 possible indicators of promising strategies.

Ohio Governor John Kasich on Monday announced the state is adopting new opioid prescribing guidelines for treating patients with chronic non-terminal pain. The guidelines are designed to curb prescription drug abuse, the Associated Press reports.

Doctors who self-medicate with prescription drugs often do so to relieve physical or emotional pain, or to relieve stress, according to a survey of doctors in recovery.

A newly released survey indicates far fewer Kentucky teens abused prescription drugs last year, compared with four years ago.

California Governor Jerry Brown signed two bills designed to fight prescription drug abuse. He vetoed a third bill that could have assisted the state’s medical board in identifying doctors whose patients died after taking drugs they prescribed, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Deaths caused by oxycodone dropped 41 percent in Florida last year, according to a new government report. Deaths linked to methadone, hydrocodone and cocaine also decreased, according to the Miami Herald.

Kentucky is offering two $1,500 college scholarships to high school seniors who have been impacted by prescription drug abuse. Teens can qualify if they are recovering themselves, or if they are affected by a family member’s prescription drug abuse, according to the Associated Press.

State senators from California and Nevada are calling on Craigslist to stop running ads for prescription drugs, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The California Senate passed two bills designed to fight prescription drug abuse and overdose deaths, the Los Angeles Times reports. The bills, which were passed unanimously, now await Governor Jerry Brown’s signature.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced safety labeling changes for extended-release and long-acting opioid painkillers. The new labels will call attention to the dangers of abuse and possible death, Reuters reports.

Taking certain prescription painkillers early in pregnancy may increase the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida, a new study suggests. The overall risk of these birth defects is low, the researchers note.

The attorneys general of Florida, Kentucky and Maine have asked the Los Angeles clothing store Kitson to stop selling T-shirts featuring the prescription drugs Vicodin, Xanax and Adderall.