National Expert from Utah Spearheads Educational Campaign
November 28, 2006FDA Issues Methadone Warning: Providing Safe Access to Pain Medications.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – November 28, 2006 – The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning yesterday to healthcare professionals of reports of death and life-threatening adverse events such as respiratory depression and cardiac arrhythmias in patients receiving methadone. These adverse events are the possible result of unintentional methadone overdoses, drug interactions, and methadone's cardiac toxicities.
Dr. Lynn R. Webster, President of the Utah Academy of Pain Medicine and Medical Director of Lifetree Clinical Research® & Pain Clinic in Salt Lake City, began a national educational campaign this summer to inform doctors, chronic pain sufferers and communities across the country about the increasingly serious issue of unintentional overdose deaths with prescription medications, including Methadone. He also recently formed a 501 C 3 organization entitled LifeSource with a mission to educate physicians, patients and communities on health issues, with an emphasis on pain-related education and research to offer solutions.
“There are too many unintentional overdose deaths from methadone and other narcotic medications used for treating pain”, says Dr. Webster. “Many die because they have not been properly educated on the safe use of these powerful, but necessary pain treatment drugs. We need more research to find solutions to the problem without compromising access to pain therapy.”
Dr. Webster’s medical expertise has contributed to national news stories addressing the dangers of methadone and other prescription pain killers including ABC News’ 20/20 program on Friday, September 22, 2006, and Court TV’s Catherine Crier Live on Wednesday, September 27, 2006. Dr. Webster recently developed the following six steps as a starting tool for educating the general public about the deadly risks associated with prescription painkillers. They are simple, yet vital steps we all can take to help this tragedy from occurring:
1. Never take a prescription painkiller unless it is prescribed to you. Everyone responds differently to pain medications. What is safe for one person may not be safe for another.
2. Do not take pain medicine with alcohol. Never mix the two; it is a dangerous combination that can be deadly. Alcohol increases the toxicity of pain medication.
3. Do not take more doses than prescribed. Even after the effects of pain medicine seem to have worn off, it is still depressing the respiratory system. Some medications like methadone may relieve pain for a few hours but will have a prolonged respiratory depressant effect. The body must develop a tolerance to the respiratory depressant effects before the dose can be increased.
4. Use of other sedative or anti-anxiety medications can be dangerous. Combining pain medicines with other sedative drugs, such as valium, can increase the toxicity of the pain medication. Only take other medications, if directed by the prescribing doctor.
5. Avoid using narcotic medications to facilitate sleep. Narcotic medications can suppress respiration during sleep. Speak to your physician about safe methods to manage pain during sleep.
6. Lock up prescription painkillers. If consumed by children or other family members, or stolen and sold on the street, prescription pain medicine can kill.
Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem nationally, and Dr. Webster is working on developing a study that will utilize a root-cause analysis in a sophisticated way to understand the risk factors that are causing deaths. If approved, this research will be conducted on a national scale. But this research will take time to fund and conduct, and Dr. Webster knows we can’t wait for research results. Recognizing the immediate need to get the information in the forefront nationwide and take action to begin educating providers about the appropriate use of opioids as part of pain management, he developed the “Zero Unintentional Deaths” campaign.
