Pubdate: Thu, 09 May 2002
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI)
Copyright: 2002 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.jsonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/265
Author: Jesse Garza, Journal Sentinel staff
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?186 (Oxycontin)

OXYCODONE DEATHS ON TRACK TO BREAK RECORD

Milwaukee County Has 5 Deaths In 4 Months

The number of oxycodone-related deaths in Milwaukee County in the first 
four months of this year almost equals the number reported in all of 2001, 
authorities said Wednesday.

Five deaths between Jan. 1 and April 30 have been confirmed as directly 
attributable to use of the prescription narcotic, compared with seven in 
2001, the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office reported.

The current rate suggests that deaths attributed to the drug will exceed 
those in any prior year, said Eileen Weller, administrative manager of the 
office. It also suggests that the drug may pose a serious health threat, 
both to those who obtain it by prescription and those who get it through 
illegal sources, she added.

"It's being prescribed more, and people who obtain prescriptions for 
legitimate reasons are taking too much of it by accident," Weller said.

"It's a pain medication. They may not get the pain relief expected, so they 
take more," Weller said. "The body may not have metabolized the last dose, 
and this provides the mechanism for accidental overdose."

The drug is also being abused by more people, she said. OxyContin, the 
brand name sustained-release tablet containing oxycodone, is intended to be 
swallowed whole, but for illicit use the tablets are sometimes crushed and 
the contents inhaled or injected.

Death occurs when the abuser ingests a large dose of the sustained-release 
form of the drug or uses it with a combination of alcohol or other drugs 
that may cause respiratory depression, she said.

"Some people will make up stories (about feeling pain) when going to the 
doctor, and the drug gets diverted to the street, or they share with their 
friends," she said.

In only two of the deaths last year had victims obtained the oxycodone 
illegally, Weller said. All seven victims had used the narcotic in 
combination with other drugs, which caused mixed-drug toxicity, she added.

"Just because somebody had it prescribed doesn't mean they are not abusing 
it," Weller said. "It's important to be honest with your physician about 
pain, particularly when talking about other medications that are being taken."

Federal Drug Enforcement Administration director Asa Hutchinson said in 
December that his agency blames OxyContin directly for 117 deaths in 31 
states over the prior two years and considers it a likely cause in 179 
other deaths.
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