By Bahar Gholipour, Staff Writer
Published: 03/03/2014 05:12 PM EST on LiveScience
Most people who use opioid painkillers such as OxyContin and Vicodin for nonmedical reasons first get their pills from friends or family, but for those who are frequent users, doctors become their major source of the medication, according to a new study.
Doctors often prescribe opioid medication to treat moderate to severe pain from injuries, arthritis and other problems, but studies have estimated that each year 12 million people use painkillers for nonmedical and recreational reasons.
In the new study, researchers looked at yearly, national surveys on drug use from 2008 to 2011, and found that the more frequently people used these drugs, the more likely they were to have obtained the medication from a doctor.
Nonmedical users who took opioid medication on more than 200 days yearly were more likely to get the medication from a doctor than from a friend or other sources. They reported obtaining the narcotics from a doctor 27 percent of the time, whereas they bought the medication from a dealer 15 percent of the time, according to the study published today (March 3) in JAMA Internal Medicine. [10 Easy Paths to Self Destruction]
The new findings show that doctors have a role to play in reducing opioid abuse, said study author Christopher Jones, a drug-safety advisor at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
By not screening their patients or checking the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, doctors "may be knowingly or unknowingly contributing to the source for a very high-risk population," Jones said.
Deaths from overdoses of prescription painkillers have more than tripled in the past decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 2011 report showed that 40 people die every day from overdoses involving painkillers such as hydrocodone (Vicodin), methadone, oxycodone (OxyContin), and oxymorphone (Opana).
Studies have shown that the number of people who frequently use opioid painkillers is increasing too, and that this group is at high risk for addiction and injecting the medication, which puts them at risk for overdose and death.
"We thought it's important to look at this population, to understand how they are obtaining their medication, and what interventions could be applied once we identify the source, and we found again that physicians were a common source for this group of frequent users," Jones told Live Science.
Last October, the FDA called for tighter controls on how doctors prescribe most commonly used narcotic painkillers, proposing restrictions that would make it harder for patients to refill their prescriptions for some drugs such as Vicodin.
Clinicians should make sure an opioid medication is appropriate for their patient and the type of pain they have. They should screen patients for risks and check prescription drug-monitoring programs, Jones said.
The study also showed that people with the lowest use of opioids most often get the drugs from friends and family. About 60 percent of people who used opioids for less than 30 days in a year obtained the drugs from friends or family, and 18 percent found it through doctors, researchers found.
"The vast majority of nonmedical users do report friends and family as their common source, so we need to educate people about the risks of these medications," Jones said. "These drugs have risks and by sharing something or giving it away, or selling it to a relative you may be contributing to their risk of overdose."
One reason why friends and family are a major source for obtaining the drugs may be that patients are prescribed more opioids than they need, Jones said.
"Some insurance companies are looking at quantity limits, so that there's not just this ready supply available in people's medicine cabinet," Jones said. "Also, there are number of efforts under way across the country to set up drug disposal containers and making it easier for people to get rid of their unused or unneeded pain medication."
Email Bahar Gholipour or follow her @alterwired. Follow us @LiveScience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
Copyright 2014 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ]]>
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.