Prescription Pain Reliever Abuse on the Rise

Study Shows 111 Percent Increase in ER Visits Involving Nonmedical Use of Prescription Opioid Pain Relievers 
From 2004 to 2008 the estimated number of emergency department visits linked to the nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers rose from 144,644 visits to 305,885 visits a year

The three prescription opioid pain relievers most frequently involved in hospital emergency department visits from 2004 to 2008 were:

• Oxycodone products – ED visits involving nonmedical use rose 152 percent, to 105,214.
• Hydrocodone products – emergency department visits involving nonmedical use rose 123 percent, to 89,051.
• Methadone products – emergency department visits involving nonmedical use rose 73 percent, to 63,629.