Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows there has been a drastic increase in opioid prescriptions, while prescriptions for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have decreased, according to a UPenn news release.
Hydrocodone and oxycodone prescriptions account for 84.9 percent of all opioid prescriptions. Over a 10-year period, there has been a five-fold increase in admissions to substance abuse programs for opioid addiction. While effective at reducing pain symptoms, opioid medications, such as hydrocodone and oxycodone, are associated with high rates of abuse, particularly among young adults.
Researchers offer recommendations to improve current pain management, including comprehensive and contemporary training for pain management care providers; supporting the American Pain Society guidelines, which include plans to develop and roll out screening procedures for those at risk for abuse and dependence; and increasing public awareness and personal responsibility.
Read the news release about the UPenn and NIDA research on opioid prescribing.
Read other coverage about medication safety:
- University of Maryland: FDA Adverse Drug Reports Boomed in Last Decade
- South Dakota Hospitals Search for Ways to Weather Drug Shortage
- Study Suggest Providers Overuse Last-Resort Antibiotics
Hydrocodone and oxycodone prescriptions account for 84.9 percent of all opioid prescriptions. Over a 10-year period, there has been a five-fold increase in admissions to substance abuse programs for opioid addiction. While effective at reducing pain symptoms, opioid medications, such as hydrocodone and oxycodone, are associated with high rates of abuse, particularly among young adults.
Researchers offer recommendations to improve current pain management, including comprehensive and contemporary training for pain management care providers; supporting the American Pain Society guidelines, which include plans to develop and roll out screening procedures for those at risk for abuse and dependence; and increasing public awareness and personal responsibility.
Read the news release about the UPenn and NIDA research on opioid prescribing.
Read other coverage about medication safety:
- University of Maryland: FDA Adverse Drug Reports Boomed in Last Decade
- South Dakota Hospitals Search for Ways to Weather Drug Shortage
- Study Suggest Providers Overuse Last-Resort Antibiotics