Opiates prescription

Heroin and other opiates are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act making it illegal to possess them or to supply them to other people without a prescription. Heroin is treated as a Class A drug where the maximum penalties are 7 years imprisonment and a fine for possession and life imprisonment and a fine for supply. 

Finally, intravenous drug administration and the sharing of needles and syringes is common among opiate addicts this creates a serious risk of cross-infection. Many studies have shown a high incidence of HIV and hepatitis B and C among heroin addicts. This risk is somewhat reduced in medically controlled narcotic prescription... 

Drugs of abuse Alcohol Amphetamines Cocaine Marijuana Opiates (heroin, prescription narcotics) PCP (phencyclidine) Sedatives... 

Metrebian N, Mott J, Carnwath Z, Carnwath T, Stimson GV Sell L (2007). Pathways into receiving a prescription for diamorphine (heroin) for the treatment of opiate dependence in the United Kingdom. European Addiction Research, 13, 144-7... 

He argues that supervised naltrexone is a very useful addition to the management of several aspects of opiate abuse. Naltrexone has only been available for prescription by medical practitioners in the UK since the summer of 1988 and its full potential can now be evaluated. 

The most commonly abused prescription drugs are opioids and opiates such as oxycodone and morphine, central nervous system depressants such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines, and stimulants such as dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate. Brand-name painkillers such as Vicodin and OxyContin, depressants such as Valium and Xanax, and stimulants such as Ritalin and Dexedrine are commonly abused (as are some OTC cough remedies). Although helpful and safe when used appropriately, these drugs can cause serious harm when taken in unapproved ways. 

Experts say that the water supply remains safe, but the buildup of hormones and opiates might cause long-term harm for animals and people. By affecting the environment and water supply, the increasing use of prescription drugs has consequences even for the people and animals not taking drugs. 

Business Wire. Ten Things You and Your Family Should Know about the Dangers of Prescription Painkillers, According to the Waismann Foundation. Available online. URL http //www.opiates.com/media/ prescription-painkiller-dangers.html. Posted September 7, 2004. This document aims to help parents become aware of the risks of this major source of prescription drug abuse. It encourages parents to talk with children about the risks and to look for signs of abuse. 

Ritalin and related generic methylphenidate drugs are available by prescription for individuals six years and older. Ritalin is distributed in 5, 10, and 20 mg tablets. In addition to ADHD, methylphenidate is used for several other medical conditions. It continues to be used for narcolepsy. It has also been used in treating depression, especially in elderly populations. Methylphenidate has been suggested for use in the treatment of brain injury from stroke or brain trauma it has also been suggested to improve appetite and the mood of cancer and HIV patients. Another use is for pain control and/or sedation for patients using opiates. 

Opiates produce constipation by affecting receptors in the intestines. Opium extracts were used in this capacity to treat diarrhea. Today there are other related compounds on the market which accomplish the peripheral task without affecting the CNS because of their poor absorption from the Gl tract when taken orally. Imodium A-D , an OTC, contains loperamide. It is also available as a generic OTC. The prescription mixture of diphenoxylate and atropine is called Lomotil . 

By the late Wth century a variety of medicines containing powerful opiates or cocaine were readily available in the United States over-the-counter without a prescription. While conscientious pharmacists might warn customers about the potential dangers of such drugs, there was essentially no regulation of their use. 

Roche, Timothy. The Potent Perils of a Miracle Drug. Time, vol. 157, January 8, 2001, p. 47. Describes the emergence of OxyContin, the opiate painkiller that is becoming one of the most widely abused prescription drugs. The time-release capsules are broken open and the drug can then be snorted or injected, producing an effect not unlike heroin. Federal au-... 

In the United States, the Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914 provided the first real regulation of the general sale of opiates. The exceptions were sales to licensed physicians for use on their own patients, and sales to those people who could provide a written prescription from a doctor. The adoption of laws controlling the production and distribution of all prescription medications occurred primarily because of morphine and codeine. 

Most of the illegal opiates, especially heroin, enter the United States through the Mexican border. According to some law enforcement officials, heroin use may be supplanted in future years by increased use of prescription narcotics, provided that they continue to be available. As a result, the distribution and use of prescription narcotics is closely monitored by state and federal law enforcement agencies. Illicit hydromorphone abuse has not reached the same epidemic levels as Oxy-Contin but remains a problem and a concern for drug enforcement authorities. 

Addiction to hydromorphone and other prescription painkillers is one of the major reasons behind admittance to drug rehabilitation clinics. Treatment for opiate addiction has been occurring in the United States since the early part of the twentieth century. In these early days of treatment, doctors in private practice prescribed narcotics to those addicted to opiate drugs. Later, governments outlawed this practice and began operating clinics where morphine could be obtained by addicts. Eventually, these clinics were also closed. At that point in time, addicts began to be treated in public health hospitals or placed in jail. 

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