An important tool to fight drug abuse

GUESTWORK | Karel Homrig

The fear of measles and news of the Ebola virus have captured news headlines for many months. These are of course serious news stories and deserve our attention. However, there is one issue that should share this grave spotlight: the epidemic of prescription drug abuse. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 15,000 people die every year of overdoses involving prescription painkillers.

Nearly 30 million Americans have been diagnosed with chronic pain and rely on these medications, also known as opioids, to complete simple tasks such as cooking a meal or leaving the house. As a result, prescription painkillers are plentiful. The CDC reports that in 2010, enough prescription painkillers were prescribed to medicate every American adult around-the-clock for one month. According to the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, unintentional drug overdoses in the U.S. now outnumber traffic fatalities, and prescription drug abuse is the reason why.

The availability and efficacy of these drugs create a perfect storm for abuse. These drugs can be crushed, cut or melted to make them easier to snort or inject. Modification of these drugs reduces or eliminates their extended relief property, and the abuser gets the full effect of the drug immediately.

Fortunately, we have a tool to combat this abuse. Pharmaceutical companies have developed new formulations that deter abuse called abuse-deterrent properties, or ADP for short. As a result, the pills are resistant to crushing, cutting or melting in order to snort or inject them.

ADP really works. Over the past couple years, we are seeing promising results. An internationally reported study showed deaths from abuse of one commonly prescribed medication dropped 82 percent after its reformulation. The New England Journal of Medicine has reported that abuse of that same drug decreased from 35.6 percent of respondents to 12.8 percent after the ADP reformulation. The Journal of Pain reported a 66 percent decline of abuse by snorting, smoking and/or injecting these opioids. In light of these proven, promising results of deterring abuse, it is hard to understand why all pharmaceutical companies don’t use ADP formulations. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers ADP a priority.

The partnership also reports that by their senior year of high school, more than one in ten teens will have abused prescription painkillers. More kids misuse painkillers every year than use cocaine. Many kids think Rx drugs are ‘safer’ than illegal drugs. And it’s so much easier to avoid suspicion with Rx drugs. Nationally, the Partnership for Drug Free Kids has stepped up and endorsed ADP. Stephen Pasierb, president and CEO of the partnership has said, “Because two-thirds of teens who abuse pain relievers say that they get them from family members and friends, if all opiates had abuse-deterrent formulations, it would be a huge step towards driving down the supply of abusable medication in our nation’s medicine cabinets.”

Here in Illinois, our work has shown us the need for interventions to help teens make better choices. It isn’t easy but we’re making progress. Since our creation in 1980 and incorporation in 1987, Prevention First has trained hundreds of school and community groups in how to use effective substance abuse prevention programs and practices.

However, we must rely on help from others to combat opioid abuse. It will take a multi-pronged approach to impact the cost in lives and in medical treatment that occurs when these opioids are abused. Prescription painkillers play an important role in the lives of people who suffer from chronic pain. ADP allows physicians to provide treatment to pain patients while also fighting the prescription drug abuse epidemic. ADP is the best solution we have.

Karel Homrig is the executive director of Prevention First, a nonprofit resource center headquartered in Springfield that works to prevent substance abuse by providing training and technical assistance and raising public awareness.