Alex Philippidis Senior News Editor Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
Opioid Epidemic Is Not the Only Factor in Record Number of Overdose Deaths
The CDC delivered some scary news a few months back, reporting that 2014 set a record for number of deaths from drug overdoses—47,055, to be exact. Between 2000 and 2014, nearly half a million people have died from drug overdoses; since 2000, the rate of deaths from drug overdoses has more than doubled, increasing 137%.
More than six out of 10 overdose deaths involved an opioid, a statistic that has further fueled growing attention by law enforcement agencies, elected officials, and others to the urgency of stopping drug abuse. In March, Massachusetts enacted the first law in the nation to impose a 7-day supply limit for first-time adult prescriptions and every opiate prescription for minors, with exceptions. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan said on June 9 they will urge other state governors to adopt similar laws.
But opioids aren’t the only prescription drugs that get abused. The National Institute on Drug Abuse also includes sedatives and stimulants among its commonly abused prescription drugs.
Listed below are the top 20 abused prescription drugs ranked by 2015 sales as furnished either by marketers of the drug or by Evaluate, the service that tracks industry sales figures. Some drugs appearing on the list are brand-name treatments, whereas others are drugs sold under numerous branded and generic versions. Each drug is listed with its 2015 sales, its Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) drug classification status, and its indications.
One observation of interest is that a growing number of generics have crowded out drugs that were on lists GEN published in previous years, most recently in 2014. Drugs in this category would include the brand-name treatment Xanax (alprazolam), which made GEN's 2014 List, as well as the 2013 List and the 2012 List—but which just missed this year’s List by ranking #21.
Also, several branded drugs that made this year’s list saw their sales erode in 2015 compared with 2014, including Celebrex (celecoxib) and Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride).
10 Most Abused Prescription Medications
The Top 10 Must Abused. Listed below, in no particular order, are the most abused prescription medications.
Codeine. Codeine is an opioid that is widely prescribed by medical professionals for the relief of pain. ...
Hydrocodone. ...
Fentanyl. ...
Morphine. ...
Valium. ...
Xanax. ...
Ambien.
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