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Opioid Medications: A Case Study

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Hydrocodone and hydrocodone combination medications were rescheduled from Schedule III controlled substance to Schedule II controlled substances on October 6, 2014. This shift brought about several changes in prescribing practices and has produced several issues for patients who require pain control. Hydrocodone and hydrocodone combinations products should be reclassified as Schedule III controlled substances because patients who truly need this type of pain medication are being denied adequate pain control, in some states mid-level practitioners are no longer able to prescribe these medications, and emergency room physicians often avoid prescribing them even to those who present with obviously painful injuries or conditions. There are many patients who have become addicted to hydrocodone, due to it being an opioid medication and these addiction problem are what ultimately brought about the decision to change its classification, however those who take their medication properly are suffering as well. Hydrocodone, is a form of medication used to treat many types of pain. It can be used to treat acute ailments such as a sprain or break, but it is also prescribed for post-operative pain management and to treat chronic …show more content…

Jason, an oil field worker who suffered a seizure that resulted in a shattered shoulder was not so lucky. He required two surgeries to repair the damage that was done. The second surgery was done as an outpatient procedure and before being discharged from the hospital, he was given morphine for his pain. Upon discharge, however, he was only prescribed a mild pain medication, which then resulted in him returning to the emergency room that same evening, to get his pain under control. It took him the trip to the ER and another visit to his surgeon to acquire the appropriate treatment for his post-operative pain. This is absolutely unacceptable

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According to Plater-Zyberk, Varenburt, Daiter, and Worster (2012), as well as nearly all other researchers, methadone is a safe, effective, and beneficial treatment when taken in a supervised methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). However, there are growing issues with illicit

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There was improvement in many areas of the country following the crackdown on prescription drug abuse and pill mills. However, another result of the crackdownwas a diminution in the availability of prescription painkillers and the price for the painkillers on the street became more expensive. The ones who became addicted to painkillers during the pill mill epidemic then turned to heroin. The crackdown of pill mills inadvertently fueled the epidemic of heroin. “Between 2007 and 2012, heroin use rose 79 percent nationwide, according to federal data.

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mends the Controlled Substances Act to increase the number of patients that a qualifying practitioner dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment is initially allowed to treat from 30 to 100 patients per year. Allows a qualifying physician, after one year, to request approval to treat an unlimited number of patients under specified conditions, including that he or she: (1) agrees to fully participate in the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program of the state in which the practitioner is licensed, (2) practices in a qualified practice setting, and (3) has completed at least 24 hours of training regarding treatment and management of opiate-dependent patients for substance use disorders provided by specified organizations.

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Recent reforms can curb the opioid epidemic. Yes, health care professionals have realized the complex problem and they now understand the problem and what needs to be done. According to CQ Researcher, “Experts see some progress in the fight against opioid painkiller abuse. After peaking in 2012, the number of prescriptions written for opioids declined 12 percent between 2013 and 2015, according to IMS Health, a market research company. Symphony Health Solutions, a data company that studies the pharmaceutical industry, found an 18 percent drop in that period.”

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Underlying Causes: The increase in the sale of opioids is considered to be the root of the opioid crisis, as the drugs have been proven to be highly addictive. An addiction to prescriptive opioids, however, can lead to an addiction to synthetic, illegal opioids, such as heroine or fentanyl, which are less expensive and easier to acquire. In fact, in their journal article, “Associations of nonmedical pain reliever use and initiation of heroin use in the United States” Pradip Muhuri and associates discovered that “the recent (12 months preceding interview) heroin incidence rate was 19 times higher among those who reported prior nonmedical prescription pain reliever (NMPR) use than among those who did not (0.39 vs. 0.02 percent)” (Muhuri et. al). In other words, abusing prescription opioids significantly raises the chances of abusing illicit drugs, such as heroin.

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In the past, opioids have been used to treat moderate to severe pain such as cancer or post surgery, and on a short term basis. Now they are prescribed to anyone who is experiencing chronic pain and on a long term basis. Opioids being taken for chronic pain allows everyone to have the ability to carry out their daily life easily and without pain. In light of opioids helping people manage their pain, the problem lies with what they are being prescribed for now, how long, and how much. Opioids are now being prescribed for back pain, migraines, and other small instances.

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Opioids are a prescription medication involving various forms of drugs, it can benefit patients as little as a few minutes, however, it can be extremely dangerous to patients without self-control. Morphine, heroin, oxycodone, and fentanyl are used for many different medical uses until companies started to combine these four ingredients into one small simple pill. The pill reduces chronic pain from a body in a matter of minutes taking a minimum dosage. The company that produces Opioids have discovered that for the most part opioids are healthier and safer than any other medications. Like other medications, opioids can also have its side effects too such as; sedation restlessness, respiratory depression, nausea, vomiting, constipation and much more.

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Dependence on prescription opioids can stem from treatment of chronic pain and in recent years is the cause of the increased number of opioid overdoses. Opioids are very addictive substances, having serious life threatening consequences in case of intentional or accidental overdose. The euphoria attracts recreational use, and frequent,

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Opioid Epidemic in the United States              The opioid crisis has risen over the years here in America. The addiction to painkillers has caused many drug overdoses across America. According to the Vox," In 2015, more than 52,000 people have died from drug overdoses from linked to opioids such as Percocet, heroin, Oxycontin or even fentanyl. This problem did not become an overnight health crisis, but it has become quickly known in America.             Expanding our drug treatment centers across America would provide the support to those who are addicted to drugs.

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First, there is alarming rise in mortality rates together with other formidable effects initiated by the anomalous use of opioid pain relievers. A study by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (2014) outlines that in 2009, more than 15,500 individuals in the United States died due to overdose on opiate pain relievers, a 300% rise in accordance with its history for the last 20 years. These alarming figures have increased the national interest regarding the climb in for script drug abuse in the United States. An additional cause is the escalating diversion of these drugs. Diversion in association with drugs implies to the illegal usage of licit dugs; and it happens when medications are counterfeit, medical records have been interfered with showing false information that a certain drug has been administered while it has actually been purloined, or when prescriptions go missing or stolen.

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Opiate addiction is much different than that of other substances that are abused and can cause addiction. Opiate addiction is a serious problem in our country and will become an even bigger problem in the years ahead. The persistent use of opiates and is thought to be a disorder of the central nervous system. Though opiate painkillers are prescribed by physicians, opiate addiction is an insidious medical disease. But since opiate addiction is far more than a behavior problem, treatment requires more than just therapy.

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The prevalence of opioid drug-related overdose has risen progressively over the past two decades becoming one of the leading causes of death in the United States. According to Center for Disease Control, drug overdoses accounted for 52,404 U.S. deaths, including 33,091 (63.1%) that involved an opioid in 2015 (Rudd, Seth, David & Scholl, 2016). To date, the numbers are continuously snowballing and it has been a major factor in the burgeoning costs of healthcare in the United States. In fact, the economic burden of opioid abuse cost the nation a staggering amount of $78.5 billion a year, taking into account the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and even goes beyond issue of criminal justice (Florence, Zhou, Luo &

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According to Michael Klein, “The most prescription drugs that are commonly misused are opioids, tranquillizers, sedatives, and hypnotics.” Unintentional overdose deaths involving opioid pain relievers have quadrupled since 1999 and have outnumbered those involving heroin and cocaine since 2002. (Klein). The reason some people abuse opioids is just to “get high”.

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