Only 1 in 5 people who misuse opioid painkillers like Vicodin get their drugs exclusively from doctors, and 69% never obtain any of these drugs from medical sources, according to a recent study published in the Archives of …
painkillers
Does the ADHD Drug Shortage Herald a Crackdown on Stimulants?
With the Obama administration characterizing prescription drug misuse as this generation’s crack epidemic, something like this seemed fated to happen: patients, pharmacists and manufacturers are reporting a serious shortage of …
U.S. Aims to Reduce Overdose Deaths, But Will the New Plan Work?
The Obama administration announced on Tuesday a new initiative to reduce prescription painkiller misuse and overdose, a problem that has become the leading cause of accidental death in 17 states, surpassing car accidents — and …
House Watch: How Lying Can Kill You
House Watcher was sick last week (final diagnosis: common cold), but I’m all better now, so let’s get right into the best procedural episode of the season, “Recession Proof,” which is about a central theme of the series: …
Study: Former NFL Players Are Popping Painkillers and in ‘Poor Health’
A new study commissioned by ESPN and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests that retired NFL players are suffering a lot of pain: 7% are taking at least one prescription opioid painkiller, according to the study, …
FDA Cuts Acetaminophen Dose In Opioid Painkillers
Though most people don’t know it, the acetaminophen (better known by its brand name Tylenol) can often be the most deadly ingredient in prescription pain medications that contain opioids like codeine.
Federal Study Finds Teen Marijuana Use Up; Binge Drinking, Smoking Rates Down
More high school seniors are current marijuana smokers than cigarette smokers, according to the national Monitoring the Future survey released Tuesday, which finds that marijuana use rose slightly while cigarette smoking fell …
FDA Announces New Effort to Fight Drug Errors, Surgical Fires
Around 1.5 million preventable medication errors occur in the American health system each year at a cost of over $4 billion annually, according to a new report released yesterday by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The report’s release marks the start of a new effort to reduce those numbers.
The FDA’s “Safe Use” …