Prescription Drugs Kill One Person Every 19 Minutes
Prescription drugs kill one person every 19 minutes – The Quiet Epidemic: prescription drug abuse destroys millions of lives Nancy Rosen-Cohen The Baltimore Sun There isn’t much attention paid to prescription drug abuse, except perhaps when a Hollywood star dies from an overdose. However, it is estimated that nearly one in five Americans has used prescription drugs for nonmedicinal reasons, and 15 percent may be abusing prescription drugs. This silent epidemic has become the leading cause of addiction. This week, the Maryland Chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the University of Maryland Medical Center sponsored the annual Tuerk Conference, a gathering of 1200 health professionals working in the field of addictions to focus on treatment and prevention of prescription drug abuse. Confronting and debunking the common myth that prescription drugs are less deadly and less addictive was one of the items on the agenda. The dangers of prescription drug abuse are growing at an exponential rate. Between 1992 and 2002, the number of prescriptions written increased by 61 percent, but the number of prescriptions written for opiates increased by almost 400 percent. Opiates reflect three-quarters of all prescription drugs abused. Actor Heath Ledger had Vicodin (hydrocodone), OxyContin (oxycodone), Valium (diazepam), and Xanax (alprazolam) in his bloodstream when he died. All are legal opiates. According to a report this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospitalizations for …
Closing 'cash loophole' will help in fight against pill abuse
Filed under: prescription drug abuse
As headmaster of the School of The Immaculata, I sometimes feel like I have the best job in the world, but from that vantage point, I have grown more concerned with a growing trend — seeing more prescription drug abuse making its way into our schools …
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Community meeting to focus on non-medical use of prescription drugs
Filed under: prescription drug abuse
The non-medical use of prescription drugs by youth in the area will be discussed later this month. A community meeting will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12 and will include speakers who will tell parents and the public about the dangers of the …
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Senate Panel Takes Aim at Prescription Drug Abuse
Filed under: prescription drug abuse
Speaking Tuesday at a Senate panel hearing on prescription drug abuse, doctors and law enforcement officials touted the importance of agencies sharing information to more effectively look for pharmacies and doctors involved in the usage of prescription …
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Prescription #drug abuse: A series on teens and young adults from @phillydotcom http://t.co/SySBbJS6 – by Altarum (Altarum Institute)
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Meaningful Use Stage 3 may tackle prescription drug abuse | #MU3 @scoopit http://t.co/zVqCAvOS – by EHRMaven (Jim Brule)
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Meaningful Use Stage 3 may tackle prescription drug abuse http://t.co/sAzcPbDT – by BarbaraRapchak (Barbara Rapchak)