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OxyContin Abusers Often Rely on "Leftover" Meds From Friends

Feb 18, 2010

Almost all people who illegally use or abuse opioid painkillers such as OxyContin or Vicodin get the drugs from a friend or relative who had a prescription, a new report shows. Researchers surveyed more than 5,300 Utah adults, and almost 2% of respondents said they had taken an opioid pain medicine not prescribed to them over the past year. The drug came from a friend or relative 97% of the time, and in most cases the drug was handed over willingly. Researchers at the Utah Department of Health warned that holding on to unused prescription opioid painkillers can result in fatal overdoses, especially among people who were not prescribed the drugs. Dr. James Garbutt, a professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said, "The report is more evidence of the increasing problem of opioid misuse in the United States. This problem is costing lives, including the lives of young healthy people. Education of both physicians and the public is needed."

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HealthDay News