Policy Shaping Regulations for Prescription and Over the Counter Drugs
Posted on 06/12/11 in Articles, Drug Resources, News,
Policy is Shaping
In mid April, 2011, the White House Director of National Drug Control Policy released the Obama Administration’s comprehensive plan of action to address the national prescription drug abuse epidemic. One of the major tenets of the plan is to educate the medical community about the very specific nuances involved in pain management. The plan aims to lower prescription drug abuse and diversion by encouraging the growth of more state based drug monitoring programs would be helpful in problem areas like proper disposal of unused drugs, a program to monitor the removal of unused drugs from the home, more education for patients and doctors.
Overall the hope is to also get a shift going where there is more public awareness over the abuse of prescription drugs, how to look for signs of addiction or drug abuse, especially with regard to opiates. With the recent death of Jeff Conway, a long time user of prescription pills and opiates, the public becomes more and more aware and weary of the pitfalls of prescription drug abuse.
Accidental Overdose – An Epidemic
Unintentional prescription drug overdose is a growing problem in the US and is now the leading cause of injury death in 17 states. Prescription drug abuse is our nation’s fastest growing drug problem, and can be as dangerous and deadly as heroin and crack when misused. The Office of National Drug Control Policy released a statement saying that in 2007 approximately 27,000 people had died from unintentional drug overdoses, mostly from prescription drugs. In 2009 the number of people aged 12 and older in the US abusing pain relievers had risen to 20 percent since 2002. Hospital emergency rooms are also feeling the brunt as visits regarding the misuse of pharmaceutical drugs have gone up two fold over the past five years.
Non Prescription (Over the Counter) Drugs and their Connection to Methamphetamine
While the Obama Administration does what it can to crack down on the prescription drug abuse problem, Native American tribesman in Arizona, as well as other tribes in the west have appealed to their local courts for a ban on over the counter medicine with pseudo-ephedrine in it. If it went through, what they hope to achieve is less availability of one of the essential founding ingredients that is used to make meth.
Getting Help
If you are concerned about someone who is abusing drugs - whether or not they are prescription drugs or meth or even marijuana or alcohol, the best thing that you can do is contact our
treatment center (or an addiction professional) to get counseling on the symptoms of the drug abuse and the steps toward recveory.
