Prescription addiction and abuse continues to be one of America’s biggest battles in the arena of public health and safety. The explosive epidemic of painkiller and stimulant pharmaceutical addiction now faces an additional uphill battle as generic drugs pose a new threat in the addiction fight.
Expiration of Pharmaceutical Patents Loom on the Horizon
Drug companies like Eli Lilly, Glaxo Smith Kline, etc., each exercise their rights as patent holders with every invention of a new drug. This prevents other drug manufacturers from creating generics comparable or identical to the original drug for about 7-12 years after its release. For example, the painkiller Vicodin’s patent has long since expired. This has enabled a number of drug companies to manufacture generic hydrocodone, widening its accessibility and decreasing its cost.
For the United States and Canada, the expiration of drug patents and the emergence of generic drugs are viewed as a great threat to public health. Despite the fact of generics being subject to federal regulation, some experts and state officials say that whatever ground we have made in the struggle against pharmaceutical dependency, will be lost in the advent of generic prescriptions.
Specifically, patents for Oxycontin and Opana ER are scheduled to expire next year. This will allow a slew of generic but powerful versions to hit the market, increasing accessibility to those are devastatingly dependent on opiate drugs.
The Dangers of Generic Drugs
Many drug companies have issued tamper-resistant versions of their prescriptions. Especially in the case of opiate painkillers, abuse deterrence is an important feature to have. Thus, non-crushable versions of pills were created to prevent consumers from crushing and snorting/injecting the pharmaceutical. Adding these features deterred addicts from the pills and prevented others from attempting to abuse them.
In the case of generic drugs, many experts fear that these same abuse prevention measures will not be included. If this is the case, a great number of addicts will have easier access to a less expensive generic that would be crushable and, as an added bonus, less expensive.
Prescription Drugs a Growing Threat
In some parts of the United States, more people die from prescription drug abuse than car accidents. This indicates an overhaul and a change in strategy with regard to pharmaceutical prescription, is long overdue.
Opiate pain drugs (such as Percocet, Hydrocodone, Oxycontin, etc.) continue to be a threat to both adults and youth in the United States, as well as a gateway drug for heroin users. Addiction to opiate pills is generally described as rapid, unsuspecting and expensive—thus leading abusers to the door of heroin: a cheaper and more powerful alternative.
Additionally, stimulant medications like Ritalin, Vyvanse and Adderall remain a threat to youth (especially college students). Young adults between the ages of 18 and 22 may pop one of these pills to get through a homework assignment or at a party one night, and easily find themselves tangled up in a dependency akin to cocaine or meth.
The abuse of generic drug is no joke. Get the information and if you know someone addicted make sure they get help. For more information contact the Narconon rehab program.
Source: http://www.wbir.com/news/article/245823/2/Generic-drugs-pose-new-threat-in-addiction-fight