Two new reports from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the National Institute on Drug Abuse indicate a vast shift in prescribing patterns for prescription pain medication. The reports were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
There has been a shocking increase in physicians writing prescriptions for opioids. Prescriptions for hydrocodone and oxycodone make up almost 85 percent of prescriptions for opioids. Over the past ten years, substance abuse treatment centers have seen a five-fold increase in admissions for an addiction to opioids. Opioid medications have positive uses for reducing the symptoms of pain, but unfortunately, opioids like hydrocodone and oxycodone have a high rate of abuse. It has been proven that one in four adults between the ages of 18 and 25 will abuse prescription pain medications in their lifetime.
"The scope of the problem is vast -
opioid overdose is now the second leading cause of accidental death in the United States and the prevalence is second only to marijuana," said Thomas McLellan, PhD., co-author of the research studies. "This study provides valuable information about factors contributing to the high rates of
opioid analgesics, and identifies areas ripe for intervention."
The researchers provided recommendations for improving pain management treatment in the primary care setting. The recommendations include comprehensive and contemporary training for physicians, nurses, dentists and pharmacists. The research also recommended supporting the guidelines of the American Pain Society, including screening patients especially at risk of developing an addiction to pain medication. This includes patients who have a strong family history of substance abuse.
