TIME report on Prescription Drug Problem

The September 13, 2010 issue of TIME magazine contains an interesting overview of the growing problem of prescription drug abse. "The New Drug Crisis: Addiction by Prescription," by Jeffrey Kluger, says that the current prescription drug use epidemic, called "pharmageddon" by one expert, began in the 1990s with revised policies of the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The new JCAHO policies encouraged health care professionals to aggressively treat pain. At the same time, big drug companies began introducing new opioids for the treatment of pain. The third leg of this proverbial three-legged stool was the Federal Trade Commission's determination to allow advertising directly to consumers. Anyone who watches the nightly network news is bombarded with drug advertisements that end with "Ask your doctor if this drug is right for you."

The article also gives a very nice overview of Oxycontin's effect on the brain:

"The brain loves Oxycontin - the way the drug lights up the limbic system, with cascading effects through the ventral striatum, midbrain, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex and prefrontal cortex, leaving pure pleasure in its wake. What the brain loves, it learns to crave."

According to the article, annual U.S. opioid consumption per person has increased from 73 mg in 1996, to 329 mg in 2006.

Historically, U.S. opiate epidemics are followed by stimulant epidemics. I wonder what the future holds for us.