A New Prescription For Fighting Oxycodone & Vicodin Abuse

As any reader of this blog knows by now, prescription drug abuse has SOARED in the past decade.  That the drug is so readily available in kitchen cabinets to children is one reason, but the availability of these drugs goes even deeper than that.  Doctored prescriptions, doctors willing to give out meds for seemingly little reason, and outright forgery also commonly occur as addicts seek to get their fix on legal drugs. Recognizing this problem, the state of Washington has made changes to the very paper prescriptions are written on as a response to this problem.  The newspaper The Colombian reports:

“We have to guard against erasures,” [Becky] Caswell said [Becky Caswell is a Southwest Washington Medical Center pharmacy official].  “People change the quantity.  The doctor writes ‘10’ and they change it to ‘100.’  They give themselves refills.  They add a drug, and write ‘Vicodin’ off to the side.”

To fight back against these problems, the new prescription paper has a lot of great features.  The seal of approval responds to heat and changes color if it is rubbed.  Similarly, if the new prescription paper is photocopied, the paper will read as "VOID."  And effective tomorrow (July 2), if a prescription on older, non-tamper proof paper is received, the pharmacist will have to call the prescribing doctor to verify the prescription. It sounds like a pretty major hurdle to certain kinds of prescription drug abuse.  Other strategies are needed to address availability in the home, or shopping out of state for prescription meds (Florida is notorious for its lax rules on prescribing drugs like OxyContin and Vicodin). We certainly believe that in the case of home availability, the oxycodone drug test can help you battle abuse.  If your child is taking your pills or someone else's pills it might be smart to test your suspicions with this easy to use urine drug test.  It doesn't only test for oxycodone (OxyContin) but it also tests for hydrocodone (Vicodin). How do you think your state should address prescription drug abuse?  Have your say in the comments below!