Methadone Linked to 30 Percent of Painkiller Overdoses
The prescription drug methadone is linked to over 30 percent of painkiller overdose deaths, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention Tuesday.
"Death from opioid overdose have increased four-fold in the past decade, and methadone now accounts for nearly a third of opioid-associated deaths," said CDC Director Thomas Frieden.
Still, the drug accounted for some two percent of total painkiller prescriptions in the U.S. in 2009.
Researchers assessed national data from 1999 to 2010 as well as data for 2009 from 13 states covered by a drug-related death surveillance network. Six times as many people died of methadone overdose in 2009 than in 1999.
Methadone has been used as a successful treatment for drug addiction for several decades. In recent years, more doctors have prescribed the drug as a painkiller.
Risks associated with methadone are greater than other painkillers, because the drug often builds up in the patient's system and may disrupt breathing and heart rhythm.
Methadone used as a heroin substitution treatment did not appear to be a part of rise in overdose deaths, the CDC reported.
05 July 2012, 16:11
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I am glad the spotlight is being put on all the methadone related deaths. Unfortunately they are downplaying all the deaths that occur from the methadone clinics due to inadequate physician training and diversion. Most of these deaths are greatly under reported due to the fact that most patients taking methadone are also taking other prescribed medication and therefore the cause of death is listed as polypharmacy when actually methadone is the real culprit! Why would you treat induction of methadone different for pain management and opiate addiction when converting a patient to methadone, since the first two weeks of induction are when most deaths occur?
Did you know? Propoxyphene (Darvon, Darvocet) was second to Methadone in number of death when it was withdrawn from the market at the request of the FDA in 2010.
Please visit www.stopmethadonedeaths.com
