Prescription Drug Poisoning a Mounting Problem

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The second leading cause of accidental death in the US is prescription medicine overdose, according to Science Daily. In a study that will be published next month in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, researchers have found that prescription poisoning cases have risen by 65% in the first six years of the past decade. That’s an alarming statistic.

“Deaths and hospitalizations associated with prescription drug misuse have reached epidemic proportions,” said the study’s lead author, Jeffrey H. Coben, MD, of the West Virginia University School of Medicine, quoted Science Daily. “It is essential that health care providers, pharmacists, insurance providers, state and federal agencies, and the general public all work together to address this crisis. Prescription medications are just as powerful and dangerous as other notorious street drugs, and we need to ensure people are aware of these dangers and that treatment services are available for those with substance abuse problems,” Dr. Coben added.

Holly Haines
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