Prescription Drug Abuse

Hydrocodone-Containing Drugs: a Leading Source of Prescription Drug Abuse

By September 12, 2014No Comments

Hydrocodone combination products (HCP) have stirred up disagreement for many years on how tightly thePill Addiction 1 government should regulate use of drugs which are not pure hydrocodone but which contain the potent opiate.

What Are Drug Schedules?
Most of the drugs doctors prescribe to treat health concerns are not classified (Scheduled) – meaning that there are not overarching controls on their use. The only drugs which get scheduled are those with a potential for drug abuse or those with no recognized medical value (illegal drugs). The greater the drug abuse danger, the tighter the controls. Drugs are classed from Schedule I (illegal, high addiction risk, no medical value) to Schedule V (very low addiction risk – cough syrup with codeine, for example).

Why Move HCP?
Right now hydrocodone alone is classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning that its use is tightly monitored because the drug has a high addiction risk. Drugs like Percocet, Vicodin or their generics, mix hydrocodone with acetaminophen or aspirin. Since there is a smaller amount of hydrocodone in these drugs they
have been classified less tightly, as Schedule III.

In 2011 more Americans died from drug overdose than were killed in car crashes and more than half
of those deaths involved prescription drugs
. Since HCP represent the most prescribed drugs in the nation, they are a big part of this problem. The DEA has finally prevailed in its argument that HCP deserve to be included in the Schedule II classification. The change will take place in early October.

What’s the Difference?
The difference between Schedule III and Schedule II has to do with ease of access. With a Schedule III drug, the doctor is able to call in a prescription and can write a script for longer-term refills without an office visit. Drugs on Schedule II need a hand-written prescription and after 90 days the patient
must visit the doctor for a new (refill) prescription.

Hardly anyone starts out abusing Schedule I drugs like heroin. Instead, they often start by misusing more available drugs somewhere else on the Schedule. HCP, then, can be a gateway drug. For this reason, no matter how much hydrocodone a medication contains, it deserves careful oversight. If you or someone close to you is involved with drug abuse there is a way out. Contact the behavioral health professionals at Family Guidance and learn how they can help.