FDA Seeks to Cut Prescription Drug Abuse

The Food and Drug Administration wants to know how to help Americans from misusing or abusing prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

The Safe Use Initiative is designed to reduce what the FDA calls preventable harm from the 3 billion prescriptions that are written annually in the United States. At least 1.5 million preventable prescription-drug related events happen each year, causing $4 billion in costs and at least 60,000 ER visits by children under 12 every year.

"Through coordinated efforts, we can make significant improvements in the safe use of medications and reduce preventable harm from medication misuse, abuse and errors," the FDA said.

The initiative includes identifying risks and implementing cross-sector approaches including federal agencies; healthcare professionals and professional societies; pharmacies, hospitals and other health care organizations; and patients, caregivers, consumers and their representative organizations.

A fact sheet and other material can be found here.

West Virginia has a growing problem with prescription drug abuse, with West Virginia's increase in fatal drug overdoses rising 550% from 1999 to 2004, according to the West Virginia Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline. One estimate said that 250,000 West Virginians were using prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons.