Washington, April 6 (Inditop.com) Prescription drugs have become the second leading cause of unintentional deaths in the US.
Researchers found that hospitalisation for poisoning by prescription opioids, sedatives and tranquilisers in the US had increased by 65 percent from 1999 to 2006.
“Deaths and hospitalisation associated with prescription drug misuse have reached epidemic proportions,” said Jeffrey H. Coben of the West Virginia University School of Medicine (WVUSM) who led the study.
“Prescription medications are just as powerful and dangerous as other notorious street drugs, and we need to ensure people are aware of these dangers and that treatment is available for those with substance abuse problems,” he said.
In the first comprehensive examination of nationwide hospitalisation associated with these prescription medications, researchers examined data gathered from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), which contains records for approximately eight million hospitalisation yearly.
By using standard diagnosis codes, the researchers studied poisoning by drugs, medicinal and biological substances reported from 1999 to 2006, and further categorised the specific types of drugs in each case.
It helped determine whether the poisoning was diagnosed as intentional, unintentional or undetermined.
While the majority of poisoning are classified as unintentional, substantial increases were also demonstrated for intentional overdose.
From 1999, total estimated hospitalisation in the US for poisoning by prescription opioids, sedatives and tranquilizers increased by 65 percent, while unintentional poisonings by these drugs increased by 37 percent.
In comparison, in the same period, hospitalisation for poisoning by other drugs, medicinal and biological substances increased by 33 percent, while all other hospitalisation increased by just over 11 percent, said a WVUSM statement.
Unintentional poisoning by other substances increased by 21 percent. Intentional poisoning from prescription opioids, sedatives and tranquilizers rose by a total of 130 percent compared to a 53 percent increase in intentional poisoning from other substances.
The findings are slated for publication in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
