CDC: Sharp Increase in Emergency Room Visits for Nonmedical Use of Prescription Drugs

A new report examines emergency department visits involving nonmedical use of prescription drugs prone to abuse.  Scientists from CDC's Injury Center and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) worked together to analyze data from SAMHSA’s Drug Abuse Warning Network.  Among the key findings:

•There was a 111% increase in emergency department visits involving nonmedical use of opioid painkillers in the United States between 2004 and 2008.

•In 2008, the number of ED visits involving nonmedical use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs roughly equaled the number involving illicit drugs.

•Most visits for nonmedical use of drugs involved opioid painkillers (especially oxycodone, hydrocodone, or methadone) or benzodiazepines, a class of sedative drugs.
 
Get the full report here.