WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama's administration unveiled on Tuesday a plan to fight what it calls a prescription drug abuse epidemic.
Between 2002 and 2009, the number of Americans aged 12 and older abusing pain relievers increased by 20 percent, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
"Unintentional drug overdose is a growing epidemic in the U.S. and is now the leading cause of injury death in 17 states," Center for Disease Control Director Dr. Thomas Frieden was quoted as saying in a statement from the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy.
The Obama administration's plan entails a government-wide public health approach to reduce drug abuse and asks an additional $123 million for drug prevention and an additional $99 million for treatment programs in the 2012 fiscal year, according to the statement.
"Today we are making an unprecedented commitment to combat the growing problem of prescription drug abuse," the statement quoted Vice President Joe Biden as saying.
"This plan will save lives, and it will substantially lessen the burden this epidemic takes on our families, communities, and workforce," he said.
The plan focuses on requiring drug makers to educate the medical community about the safe use of prescription drugs, beefing up prescription drug monitoring programs, recommending responsible disposal methods for unused medications, and reducing the prevalence of pill mills and doctor shopping through enforcement efforts.
The plan aims for a 15 percent reduction over five years in nonmedical use of prescription-type psychotherapeutic drugs among people 12 and older, and a similar decrease in the number of unintentional overdose deaths.
As a part of the plan, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered painkiller makers to provide educational materials to help train physicians about the correct use of the drugs.
The federal regulator has sent letters to drugmakers manufacturing opioids asking them to prepare materials that physicians or prescribers can use while counseling patients about the risks and benefits of opioid use.
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