Prescription drug abuse deadlier than use of illegal drugs

A surge in methadone abuse in Florida matches a national trend that also finds emergency visits for narcotic analgesics outnumbering visits for heroin overdoses.

By Andis Robeznieks, AMNews staff. Dec. 16, 2002.

The abuse of prescription drugs is sending more people to the hospital and, in Florida, more people are being sent to the morgue from prescription drug overdoses than overdoses of cocaine and heroin, according to reports from Florida medical examiners and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

Abuse of oxycodone and hydrocodone continues to rise, but a surge in methadone abuse has health and law enforcement officials particularly concerned. The Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement recently issued a public alert to raise awareness of the fact that methadone-related deaths rose 31% (from 194 to 254) in the first six months of this year compared with the last six months of 2001.

Between January and June of this year, the latest Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons report from the Florida medical examiner shows that:

• Cocaine was present in 579 deaths, and listed as the cause in 180.
• Benzodiazepine was present in 734 deaths, and listed as the cause in 150.
• Methadone was present in 254 deaths, and listed as the cause in 133.
• Heroin was present in 141 deaths, and listed as the cause in 121.
• Oxycodone was present in 267 deaths, and listed as the cause in 112.
• Hydrocodone was present in 248 deaths, and listed as the cause in 61.

Although the number of deceased persons who had oxycodone or hydrocodone in their systems increased, the number of times an overdose of those drugs was seen as the cause of death decreased 20% and 14%.

Some officials think that the decrease of deaths tied to these painkillers is linked to the increase in methadone deaths. "One theory is that doctors may be prescribing more methadone because of the bad rap oxycodone has been getting," said Vickie Marsey, a program administrator for the FDLE's medical examiners commission. [...]