Opioids Use in Australia Report
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Added on 2020-03-16
Opioids Use in Australia Report
Added on 2020-03-16
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Running Head: OPIOIDS USE IN AUSTRALIA 1Opioids Use in AustraliaNameInstitutionDate
OPIOIDS USE IN AUSTRALIA 2 Opioids Use in Australia IntroductionPrescription drug abuse is in the increase and it is now a global health concern. It hasbeen reported that more Australians are dying from prescriptions than illegal heroin (Larney, etal, 2017). Prescribe opioids are drugs that are prescribed by doctors or health physicians in orderto treat a health condition. Most of them are prescription medications meant to relieve pain. Useof these drugs have been on tremendous increase over last couple of decades worldwide(Martins, et al, 2015). It was reported that there were 180,000 deaths resulting from prescriptionopioid overdose between 1999 and 2015, in America. Traditionally, use of powerful pain killerswas exclusively on cancer patients but has now become a mainstream for all to use (Blanch,Pearson, & Haber, 2014). In Australia the use of opioids have been in the increase as well. Thenumber of Australians using prescribed opioids have quadrupled in the last decade. Analysis of opioids use Research data has shown that prescription opioid use has been on the rise in Australia.According to national Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), 4.8 % of Australian adultswere found to have used pharmaceuticals for non-medical reasons in last 12 months which wasan increase from 3.8% in 2004. Analysis of data from ABS figures and National Drug andAlcohol Research Center show that 68% of 668 overdose deaths were related to pharmaceuticalprescribed opioids use. This was a robust increase in comparison to the situation in 1990s whereopioids deaths mostly emanated from illicit drug use. Death rates among addicts have been onincrease since 2007. It was found to be highest in age brackets between 35 and 44 year whichrepresents 40%, followed by age brackets 25-34 and 45-54, both of which represent 27%. Deathrate was found to be least in age bracket between 14 -15 which represented 6%.
OPIOIDS USE IN AUSTRALIA 3Possible causes for increased use of prescribe opioidsLonger cancer survival periods is closely related with increased use of prescribe opioids.Because of the nature of cancer treatment methods, most of chronic pain type of cancer patientalways find themselves in constant use of opioids (Jones, Mogali & Comer, 2012). This hassignificantly boosted the increase of use of these drugs. Like any other developing nation,Australia has an aging population which suffer chronic pains resulting from conditions such asarthritis and fibromyalgia(Campbell, et al, 2010). Such Pains makes them to look for quickerand easier ways to deal with such conditions. Strong pains associated with arthritis and relatedconditions make patients to overdose with the intention to completely reducing pains so that theycan go back to work and carry on with their normal lives. Changing expectations of young generation to achieve complete relieve of discomfortresulting from pain have caused them to constantly use opioids. Increased availability of opioidas pain relievers has contributed to increased usage. Mild pains such as headaches and slightmuscle pains that were traditionally not taken to require medical attention, are now reasons forpeople to take opioids. Australians affection for mood-altering substances and opioid analgesiacan be pointed out as a reason for the increase (Roxburgh, et al, 2011). Launching of aggressivepromotion campaigns for analgesic drugs by producing and sales companies has been a bigdriving factor towards the increased use of prescribe opioids. Such campaigns are propelled bycommercial gain interests. There has been some sort of moral amnesty and loose rules governinguse of drugs that can be used as medicine. This has been interpreted to mean that opioid use isunrestricted, contributing to increase in usage. Lack of awareness among members of the publicabout the effects of abuse of prescribed drugs has contributed to the vast increase in abuse andaddiction. Doctors’ prescriptions are usually not strictly followed as required. Patients will take a
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