Prescription drug abuse, regardless of the brand, has reached epidemic heights. There are an estimated 1.5 billion people who suffer the effects of chronic pain worldwide. For individuals in this predicament, care is required 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This need requires a longer-lasting prescription. Opioids answer that demand with its extended-release formula. The number will continue to climb as shifts in the population age and become afflicted with osteoarthritis and other conditions.

Pharmaceutical companies are then faced with the continual increase of prescription pain medication demands. In an effort to improve safety and the efficiency of pain medication, drug companies have focused on the reformulation of current therapy. There are many different modes of delivering the drugs including opioids and NSAIDs.

Patent protection for these drugs will also soon be gone and big name drug manufacturers will see a larger market in competition from generic drugs. This will ultimately create a decline in price for prescription drugs. The lower cost of these meds could see many different reactions. Drug addicts will now have the means to afford their habit or the violent crime associated with obtaining the once expensive drugs will decrease. Only time will tell the effect this will have on the abuse of opiods.

Introduced in the 1950s as a safe replacement for barbiturates, benzodiazepines treat anxiety, insomnia and seizure disorders. Some popular brands are Halcion, Valium, Xanax, Ativan, and Librium.

The study found that treatment admissions for these drugs went from 22,400 in 1998 to 60,200 in 2008, and now account for over 3% of all substance abuse admissions compared to 1% in 1998. About 95% of those who abuse benzodiazepines abuse other substances too, most often alcohol and opioid painkillers. The study found that the typical abuser of benzodiazepines is a white male between the ages of 18 and 34 years old.

“The misuse of benzodiazepines along with other prescription drugs is fueling the rise of treatment admissions,” said Pamela S. Hyde, Administrator of SAMHSA. She said everyone can help curb the epidemic of prescription drug abuse by locking up their medications and properly disposing of any they do not use.

A special report from BuffaloNews.com highlights these steps to stop the over-accessibility of prescription painkillers, including requirements in Washington State that doctors will have to seek advice and input from a specialist in pain management before going beyond a designated dosage level of a narcotic pain medication. Doctors will also be required to attend more trainings on how to administer prescription pain medications like Oxycontin and Vicodin.

Actions in Washington and from other sources, including the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, could lead to a shift in thought about prescribing narcotic painkillers, which are known to be highly addictive. The actions are aimed at physicians working with non-cancer patients, such as those recovering from surgeries or long-term physical injury. Part of the shift could also ask doctors to carefully track and analyze a patient’s medical records and note any changes in functionality, aside from just treating them for pain.

The U.S. uses at least 80 percent of narcotic painkillers prescribed across the globe, but some experts are concerned the initiatives could hamper patients, especially older adults, from receiving much-needed relief from chronic pain.

The Food and Drug Administration is also looking into changes toward opioid painkillers, aimed at requiring pharmaceutical manufacturers to be involved with teaching physicians more about dosage for different patients and how to effectively monitor prescriptions. A formal FDA strategy is expected to be released in the next twelve months.

Other actions proposed in the battle against prescription painkiller abuse and addiction include statewide pharmacy database tools to track and monitor patients who move from one location to the next in search of prescriptions for pain medications, but more work is called for to streamline the databases and increase their effectiveness.

Doctors, policy makers and experts agree a change is needed in the way pain treatment is addressed, and that the change will involve many facets, including moral and professional factors.

There is an easier, more convenient way to try out getting high. The teens don’t need to contact a friend or covertly obtain drugs. They don’t need to come up with exorbitant amounts of cash or try to cover the smell of marijuana in their clothing. The easiest place to find a way to get high may be in the master suite of their own home.

A report released by the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign reveals that teens are abusing prescription drugs to get high in a trend away from street drugs like cocaine and marijuana. The report points out that millions of people find relief in the benefits of prescription drugs, but the drugs can be dangerous or even lethal when used recreationally.

Although the use of illicit drugs has been in steady decline, the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign is hoping that parents will grow in their awareness of this trend among teenagers to abuse prescription drugs.

According to the report, there are more new users of prescription drugs than any other illegal drug, including marijuana. In addition, teenagers are widely misusing pain relievers like OxyContin and Vicodin. In 2005, a third of all the new illegal users of prescriptions were between the ages of 12 and 17.

The report also revealed that girls are more likely than boys to abuse prescription drugs to get high. 57 percent of teens who abuse prescription drugs say that they are given the drugs from a relative or friend, or they take them from a relative or friend without asking. Another 10 percent buy pain relievers from a relative or friend.

The role of parents is critical in reducing the number of teens abusing prescription drugs. The report indicated that teens that are regularly supervised by their parents are less likely to use drugs. Parents must be encouraged to set clear expectations about their teens using absolutely no drugs and have regular check-in conversations with their teenagers about the risks associated with drug use.
 

Allen is quick to admit that while prescription meds are harder to get than illegal drugs, when they are available she readily uses them. When hanging out with friends, Allen will take codeine or illegal drugs. She is quick to highlight that prescription medications offer a different kind of high.

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) annual report found that there is an increase in the abuse of prescription medication. Information is lacking for Africa, yet other countries show an alarming rise in the use of prescription medication. The study showed that in the United States alone, 6.2 million people are abusing prescriptions.

In several European countries like France, Italy and Lithuania, between 10 and 18 percent of students use sedatives or tranquilizers without a prescription. While most countries recognize this abuse, governments do not systematically collect information on prescription drug abuse.

Dr. David Bayever, deputy chairperson of the Central Drug Authority (CDA) noted the reason for the increase in prescription drug abuse can be attributed to the fact that these particular drugs are not illegal. They are a legal medication and when caught with them in their possession, the individual cannot be arrested.

"I fear whatever we do will not be enough," said Bayever. "People will see this as a picking field and will take advantage of the event. In spite of all the measures taken one must remember that these are well-organized groups who know where the loopholes are."
 

The research, presented at the American Academy of Pain Medicine’s 26th Annual Meeting, provides early published data analyzing information gathered from California’s prescription monitoring program, known as the Controlled Substances Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES).

Over 34 states currently have prescription monitoring programs in place in an effort to address prescription drug abuse, addiction, and diversion. One goal of the PMPs is to prevent individuals from "doctor shopping," where they obtain multiple prescriptions from multiple healthcare providers, which they subsequently fill at multiple pharmacies. To date, there is limited published data demonstrating the frequency of multiple provider episodes for controlled substances.

Analyzing de-identified prescription data from the CURES program, researchers at the University of California, Davis found that approximately half of the multiple provider episodes or "doctor shopping" cases involved more than one occurrence. Researchers also report that approximately 13% of these occurrences involved prescriptions for opioid prescriptions, followed by 4% for benzodiazepines, followed by stimulant amphetamines (1.4%) and diet amphetamines (0.8%)

Lead researcher and AAPM Director at Large, Past President (2005), and AAPM Chair of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Scott Fishman MD, comments, "These preliminary data suggest that multiple prescribing of controlled substances is a real problem. The AAPM has long advocated for PMPs that make useful data available to prescribers at the point of care so they can help mitigate this problem. As our regulators and legislators seek solutions for minimizing prescription drug abuse, this study should help elucidate the value of PMPs that partner with clinicians in appropriate monitoring."

The data also showed that the greatest association with multiple provider episodes occurred when an individual was simultaneously receiving prescriptions for different classes of controlled substances, while using multiple prescribers to obtain other controlled substances. Individuals who obtained opioids from multiple providers were 10 to 21-fold more likely, respectively, to also receive benzodiazepines or amphetamines from multiple practitioners. Similar results were obtained with benzodiazepines and amphetamines.

The study also found that individuals "doctor shopping" for opioids were younger and resided in larger metropolitan areas.

The Office of the National Drug Control Policy indicated that everyday, 2,500 teenagers, ages 12-17, will abuse prescription medication for the first time. Access to prescription medications like Vicodin and OxyContin is often far too easy: 70% of teens who abused say they got the prescription drugs from family and friends (National Survey on Drug Use and Health).

To combat this growing problem, Dr. Drew and his team designed the Rx Locker, a locking storage device designed to hold up to four prescription pill bottles and still fit inside a standard medicine cabinet. A chromed metal combination lock provides convenient access for the user while ensuring secure storage and privacy. The Rx Locker is available now at www.RxLocker.com.

Dr. Drew recently spoke to about the issue of prescription drug abuse among teens when he visited “The Bonnie Hunt Show.”

"All too often the medication prescribed by a doctor to parents and grandparents are being accessed by their kids. We need to keep these medications locked up and send a message to our children that they are potentially dangerous. Locking up Rx medications is the only way to ensure that their access will be restricted only to those with prescriptions. However, a practical, affordable and simple solution to this ever-increasing problem has not existed until now," Dr. Drew said.

Teens aren’t the only ones being hurt by the unfettered access to prescription pills. Young children can accidentally find and ingest medications where even a small dose can be deadly. According to National Poison Prevention Week, each year unintentional poisonings from medicines and household chemicals kill about 30 children and prompt more than 1 million calls to the nation’s poison control centers.

Dr. Drew Pinsky is a practicing medical doctor who is board certified in internal and addiction medicine. He is also the executive producer and host of several television series including "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew," "Sober House" and "Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew" as well as the host of the nationally syndicated radio show "Loveline." He is the author of “Cracked: Putting Broken Lives Together Again, When Painkillers Become Dangerous” and the New York Times bestseller “The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America.”

"I was in a dark hole and I didn’t even know it,” Cannon admitted. “I became isolated from family and friends. In just a couple of years, I went from being on prescribed medications to being addicted to prescription medications. It felt like there was no way out because no one would understand what I was going through. Prescription drug addiction has become a huge problem in this country, and I’m not ashamed to talk about it,” she said.

She continued: "But with the help of my daddy, mom, and husband, I gathered the courage to check into a residential rehab facility," she continued. "I’ll never forget how alone I had been feeling for such a long time. But to my complete surprise, I had 14 visitors on my first Sunday in treatment! Just when I thought I didn’t have anybody, I had EVERYBODY and they were all still pulling for me and loved me no matter what!"

The daughter of record producer Buddy Cannon, who has also struggled with addiction, Cannon admits that she will always be fighting to stay clean. "I realize I will always struggle with an addictive personality," she said. "Since I grew up the child of an addict/alcoholic, chaos was the only thing I knew! But instead of trying to point my finger at my dad, he has now become my inspiration to live right each day. He tried to help me for so long, but one day, he just stopped looking at me. That was the hardest thing I’ve had to deal with. But today I am working closely with him again and we are talking about our next record. I was so scared we would never work together again! But God stepped in and I stepped up!"

Rural Rhythm Records, her record label, is issuing a special free download of "Send A Little Love," another song from the album produced by Ronnie Bowman and Buddy Cannon. "I feel like singing those lyrics to everyone…..’and let it shine, just like the sun. Let it pour on down on everyone.’ That is how I feel—like the sun is shining down again! I love life and I’m so happy to be a part of each and every day," Cannon said of the song.

She continued, "I am looking forward to getting back to touring next year and supporting this album that is so dear to my heart."

In recent interviews, Michael Lohan has been claiming that Lindsay is addicted to prescription pills and that he’s trying to stage an intervention.

"Michael Lohan needs to focus on being a parent, paying child support, of which he is six months behind, and making up for all the years he was an absentee dad," Dina told People over the weekend. "And stop going on national television talking about his children publicly."

The same day, Michael told X17 that he’s going to see a judge this week.

"If I can’t get a conservatorship, then I’m going to take her to an undisclosed location and get her straight," he told the photo agency. "But I know I’m gonna get charged [with] kidnapping."

After hearing Dina’s remarks, Michael told People, "She says I’m not focusing on being a good parent, but is she focusing on being a good parent?"

He had a special message for Lindsay during a taping of the Maury Povich Show last Thursday.

"I’m gonna do anything and everything I have to save your life, whether mom likes it, the public likes it, or anyone," he said looking into the camera.

But Lindsay is planning to go to court herself to get a restraining order against her dad, a source told People.

"Lindsay is actively getting a restraining order, her lawyers have already been contacted," the source told People. "She’s scared. This is really serious."

A recent CNN report highlighted the fact non-medical use of painkillers played a part in more than 8,500 deaths in 2005. From 2001 to 2005, overdose deaths involving prescription pain relievers increased 114 percent.

“Often what happens is someone experiences discomfort, anxiety, or pain. They start being treated with medicine, and need more,” said Dr. Steven Juergens, in CNN. Juergens is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington and a private addiction specialist in Bellevue, Washington.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy noted non-medical use of prescription drugs is most common among young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. A study released by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America showed 155 teenagers out of 1,000 report abusing prescription drugs. The teens reported obtaining the drugs through a friend or family member; or, more easily through the medicine cabinet.

A common trend among teens is the participation in “pharming parties”. During these events, teens raid their home medicine cabinets, put various pills in a bowl and then pick which pill(s) to consume. It isn’t uncommon for alcohol to also be present at these parties, creating a combined danger.

“I think people of all ages don’t take medication as seriously as street drugs,” said Dr. Marvin Seppala, the chief medical officer at Hazelden, a drug and alcohol treatment center. “There’s sort of a naïve belief they’re safer. The truth is pain medications are in the same exact class as heroin, morphine — they’re very addictive.”