More OTC-related cases in ERs
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
U.S. emergency room visits involving abuse of dextromethorphan-containing cough/cold medicines contributed to a 26% increase from 2004 to 2005 in the number of cases related to abuse of OTC and prescription medicines, results of a survey done for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration show. In the 1Drug Abuse Warning Network survey's category of ER cases involving respiratory agents, some of which contain DXM, upper respiratory agent cases increased from 9,433 to 12,613 expectorant cases grew from 1,258 to 2,127 and cases involving other upper respiratory products increased from 1,979 to 4,004, although decongestant-related cases were down, 1,468 to 1,287. The latest Monitoring the Future survey as well as results of a study published in December 2006 also point to growing abuse of DXM products, particularly by young people (2"The Tan Sheet," Dec. 11, 2006, p. 10, and 3"The Tan Sheet," Jan. 1, 2007, p. 8). NSAIDs-related cases increased from 22,959 to 26,050; Ibuprofen-related cases and naproxen cases were both up, according to DAWN. Additionally, acetaminophen-related cases were up to 39,494 from 36,818...
You may also be interested in...
National Survey Results Add To DXM Abuse Concerns; CHPA Touts Education
Results from a national survey of illicit drug use by students provide a platform to address the problem of young people abusing over-the-counter cough and cold medicines containing dextromethorphan, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association said Dec. 21
Dextromethorphan Abuse Study Raises Questions On Prevention Strategies
Researchers say a survey showing a 15-fold increase in California adolescents' abuse of dextromethorphan (DXM) products indicates behind-the-counter sale could prevent abuse, but the Consumer Healthcare Products Association says age restrictions would be a better deterrent
EU Regulatory Assessors Get AI Boost In Reaching Scientific Decisions
The European Medicines Agency is training scientific staff working for the European medicines regulatory network in how to use a new AI-powered search engine that allows them to easily retrieve information on regulatory precedents.