Painkillers Linked to Increase in Overd...(from unintentional poisoning in the stat...),Health

To determine the size of the problem in West Virginia, the researchers collected data from medical examiners, prescription drug-monitoring programs, and opiate treatment program records.

In 2006, 295 West Virginians died from unintentional overdoses of pain killers, Hall's group found. Of these, 67.1 percent were men and 91.9 percent were between the ages of 18 and 54.

Most on those who died (63.1 percent) used painkillers, but did not have a prescription for them. And 21.5 percent had prescriptions for these drugs from at least five doctors in the year before their death, the researchers found.

Women were more likely to doctor shop than men (30.9 percent vs. 16.7 percent), and younger people used painkillers for non-medical purposes more than their older counterparts did, according to the report.

In 79.3 percent of the deaths, people had used several medications. Opioids were the most common drugs used, accounting for 93.2 percent of the deaths. Of these deaths, only 44.4 percent of the victims had any evidence of having a prescription for these drugs, Hall's group noted.

Methadone was the most common drug linked to fatal overdoses, accounting for 40 percent of the deaths. People who died from a methadone overdose were less likely to have a prescription for the drug than people who overdosed on hydrocodone or oxycodone, the researchers found.

In 1997, two reports called for better management of chronic pain and encouraged the use of opioid pain medications. Since that time, the sales of these painkillers has gone up dramatically as have overdoses, deaths and recreational use linked to these drugs, Hall said.

Dr. Adam Bisaga, an associate professor of clinical psychiatry in the division on substance abuse at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New Y
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