Active surveillance of abused and misused prescription opioids using poison center data: A pilot study and descriptive comparison

Abstract

Poison center rates of abuse and misuse were highest for hydrocodone at 3.75 per 100,000 population, followed by oxycodone at 1.81 per 100,000 population. DAWN emergency department (ED) data illustrate a similar pattern of abuse with most mentions involving hydrocodone and oxycodone. Poison center data indicate that people aged 18 to 25 had the highest rates of abuse. DAWN reported the majority of ED mentions among 35 to 44-year-olds. Geographically, Kentucky had the uppermost rates of abuse and misuse for all opioids combined at 20.69 per 100,000 population. CONCLUSIONS. Comparing poison center data to DAWN yielded mostly comparable results, including hydrocodone as the most commonly mentioned drug. Our results suggest poison center data can be used as an indicator for prescription opioid abuse and misuse and can provide timely, geographically specific information on prescription drug abuse.

Evaluating the Necessity of a Poison Control Center in Cameroon: The Knowledge and Perception of Health Care Professionals in the Laquintinie Hospital and the Bonassama District Hospital in Douala

“…Despite these demonstrations by other research works, Cameroon is still lacking when it comes to poisoning and poison management [42][43][44][45]. The absences of such centers in Cameroon and more particularly in highly urbanized towns like Douala in which this work was done are more handicaps to enable a proper quantification of the necessary as such a center in Douala and in Cameroon at large and moreover the lack of a PCC in Douala and Cameroon are deficiency to proper evaluate the cost effectiveness of a PCC in poison management and its possibilities of been a real disaster surveillances public health asset for its citizens [46][47][48][49][50][51].…”

Calls Managed by the BC Drug and Poison Information Centre following the 2011 Nuclear Reactor Incident at Fukushima, Japan

“…Surveillance of poison control centre information has been used to detect and monitor the emergence of trends and real-time incidents involving drug and substance abuse, 24,25 food-borne illness, 26 mass poisoning, 27 food/medication contamination, 28,29 adverse drug reactions 19,30 and injuries from commercial and consumer products. 31 The number of calls fielded by BC DPIC following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor crisis underscores the value that poison control centres offer in capturing public concerns and responses during an emerging crisis.…”

Review of Regulatory Programs and New Opioid Technologies in Chronic Pain Management: Balancing the Risk of Medication Abuse with Medical Need

“…44 Data from 8 poison control centers over 12 months in 2003 indicated that hydrocodone and oxycodone were involved in numerous reports involving opioid abuse and misuse. 45 In addition, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that in 2006, 37% of poison-related deaths involved opioids. 46 …”