Opioid addiction originates from prescribed painkillers for half of female methadone clinic patients

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-11/bc-oao110515.php

Public Release: 9-Nov-2015
Opioid addiction originates from prescribed painkillers for half of female methadone clinic patients
BioMed Central

Painkillers prescribed by doctors are the starting point for addiction to opioids for more people than heroin. This is according to a new study of 503 patients attending methadone clinics, published in the open access journal Biology of Sex Differences. The study highlights the differences in profile of those who currently seek treatment and people that treatment plans were originally designed for.

The results show that over half (52%) of women and over a third (38%) of men reported doctor-prescribed painkillers as being their first contact with opioid drugs, a family of drugs which include prescription medicines such as oxycontin and codeine, as well as illicit drugs such as heroin.

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