Fatal prescription drug overdoses jumped by 61 percent in Florida from 2003 to 2009 and claimed 16,650 lives, federal health officials said in a new analysis Thursday.
The report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documents a trend that state officials have noted for years. It led to new laws over the past three years, most recently July 1, to control excessive prescriptions by pain doctors and clinics. Among the CDC's findings:
The report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documents a trend that state officials have noted for years. It led to new laws over the past three years, most recently July 1, to control excessive prescriptions by pain doctors and clinics. Among the CDC's findings:
Prescription drug overdose deaths: Up 61 percent. There were 2,905 in 2009, compared with 1,804 in 2003. Each victim took a lethal dose of at least one prescription drug.
Prescription drug death rate: Up 84.2 percent. For every 100,000 Floridians, there were 13.4 deaths in 2009 vs. 7.3 in 2003.
Oxycodone death rate: Up 265 percent. There were 6.4 deaths per 100,000 Floridians in 2009 vs. 1.7 per 100,000 in 2003.
Alprazolam (Xanax) death rate: Up 234 percent. There were 4.4 deaths per 100,000 Floridians in 2009 vs. 1.3 per 100,000 in 2003.
Illegal drugs death rate: Down 21 percent. There were 3.4 deaths per 100,000 Floridians in 2009, compared with 4.3 per 100,000 in 2003. This includes cocaine, heroin and others.
Also Thursday, Florida's surgeon general gave doctors 60 more days to start using new counterfeit-proof prescription pads that were required to be used for addictive drugs as of July 1.
Dr. H. Frank Farmer said he had heard complaints that pharmacies were refusing to fill patients' prescriptions of pain pills because doctors had used the old forms. Doctors initially may have had trouble finding the forms, but he said they are widely available.
To read the full CDC report, go to cdc.gov/mmwr.
Prescription drug death rate: Up 84.2 percent. For every 100,000 Floridians, there were 13.4 deaths in 2009 vs. 7.3 in 2003.
Oxycodone death rate: Up 265 percent. There were 6.4 deaths per 100,000 Floridians in 2009 vs. 1.7 per 100,000 in 2003.
Alprazolam (Xanax) death rate: Up 234 percent. There were 4.4 deaths per 100,000 Floridians in 2009 vs. 1.3 per 100,000 in 2003.
Illegal drugs death rate: Down 21 percent. There were 3.4 deaths per 100,000 Floridians in 2009, compared with 4.3 per 100,000 in 2003. This includes cocaine, heroin and others.
Also Thursday, Florida's surgeon general gave doctors 60 more days to start using new counterfeit-proof prescription pads that were required to be used for addictive drugs as of July 1.
Dr. H. Frank Farmer said he had heard complaints that pharmacies were refusing to fill patients' prescriptions of pain pills because doctors had used the old forms. Doctors initially may have had trouble finding the forms, but he said they are widely available.
To read the full CDC report, go to cdc.gov/mmwr.
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