Pain-pill users who abuse opioids are more likely to get their medications from doctors than from friends or family. Modern Healthcare reports that a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that 27% of frequent users for reasons other than pain got their medications right from the medical source, whereas 26% of those surveyed between 2008 and 2011 got their pills second-hand.
Painkiller abuse has been a top-line concern for the last several years, with hallmarks like the controversial approval of the hydrocodone drug Zohydro, which has been slammed by 28 attorneys general, an FDA advisory panel and a citizens group called FedUp!
Efforts to curtail drug access include a New York prescriber database that the Associated Press reports has limited doctor-shopping.
