Methadone was involved in more than 30% of overdose deaths from prescription pain relievers despite accounting for only 2% of pain-reliever prescriptions in the United States in 2009, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Also, four of every 10 overdose deaths from a single prescription pain reliever involved methadone. The rate was twice as high as that for any other prescription pain reliever.
Methadone carries more risks than other pain relievers because it tends to build up in the body and can disrupt a person’s breathing or heart rhythm, according to the CDC. It has been used safely and effectively for decades to treat drug addiction, but in recent years it has been increasingly used as a pain reliever.
As methadone prescriptions for pain have increased, so have methadone-related nonmedical use and fatal overdoses. CDC researchers found that six times as many people died of methadone overdoses in 2009 as in 1999.
CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, noted that deaths from opioid overdose have increased fourfold in the past decade. Methadone accounts for nearly a third of such deaths.
"Methadone used for heroin substitution treatment does not appear to be a major part of this problem," Frieden said in a news release. "However, the amount of methadone prescribed to people in pain has increased dramatically. There are many safer alternatives to methadone for chronic non-cancer pain."
Despite recent federal efforts to warn healthcare providers that methadone prescribing is complex and that methadone should not be the first choice as a pain reliever, the number of methadone prescriptions has not declined significantly, according to the CDC.
The majority of these prescriptions are written by practitioners who typically do not have special training in pain management, the agency noted.
"Methadone continues to play an important role in substance abuse treatment and should not be limited in its use for that application," said Linda C. Degutis, MSN, DrPH, director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. "Healthcare providers can take precautions to reduce the risks of methadone overdose when used for treating pain."
A key step includes following guidelines for prescribing methadone and other prescription pain relievers correctly.
These guidelines include screening and monitoring for substance abuse and other mental health problems; prescribing only the quantity needed based on the expected length of pain; using patient-provider agreements combined with urine drug tests for people taking methadone long-term; using prescription drug monitoring programs to identify patients who are misusing or abusing methadone or other prescription pain relievers; and educating patients on how to safely use, store and dispose of prescription pain relievers and how to prevent and recognize overdoses.
The report appears in the July issue of the CDC’s Vital Signs. To read it, visit http://1.usa.gov/N8zfmX.
Also, four of every 10 overdose deaths from a single prescription pain reliever involved methadone. The rate was twice as high as that for any other prescription pain reliever.
Methadone carries more risks than other pain relievers because it tends to build up in the body and can disrupt a person’s breathing or heart rhythm, according to the CDC. It has been used safely and effectively for decades to treat drug addiction, but in recent years it has been increasingly used as a pain reliever.
As methadone prescriptions for pain have increased, so have methadone-related nonmedical use and fatal overdoses. CDC researchers found that six times as many people died of methadone overdoses in 2009 as in 1999.
CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, noted that deaths from opioid overdose have increased fourfold in the past decade. Methadone accounts for nearly a third of such deaths.
"Methadone used for heroin substitution treatment does not appear to be a major part of this problem," Frieden said in a news release. "However, the amount of methadone prescribed to people in pain has increased dramatically. There are many safer alternatives to methadone for chronic non-cancer pain."
Despite recent federal efforts to warn healthcare providers that methadone prescribing is complex and that methadone should not be the first choice as a pain reliever, the number of methadone prescriptions has not declined significantly, according to the CDC.
The majority of these prescriptions are written by practitioners who typically do not have special training in pain management, the agency noted.
"Methadone continues to play an important role in substance abuse treatment and should not be limited in its use for that application," said Linda C. Degutis, MSN, DrPH, director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. "Healthcare providers can take precautions to reduce the risks of methadone overdose when used for treating pain."
A key step includes following guidelines for prescribing methadone and other prescription pain relievers correctly.
These guidelines include screening and monitoring for substance abuse and other mental health problems; prescribing only the quantity needed based on the expected length of pain; using patient-provider agreements combined with urine drug tests for people taking methadone long-term; using prescription drug monitoring programs to identify patients who are misusing or abusing methadone or other prescription pain relievers; and educating patients on how to safely use, store and dispose of prescription pain relievers and how to prevent and recognize overdoses.
The report appears in the July issue of the CDC’s Vital Signs. To read it, visit http://1.usa.gov/N8zfmX.
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