History Of Opioids And Statistics : What Drugs Are Considered Opioids?

Oxycodone is the main drug I am concentrating on even though there are many opiates or schedule II drugs that are considered Opioids. Oxycodone was first created as part of an effort to find non-addictive alternatives to morphine and heroin, which were commonly used in medicine before World War I. Oxycodone is an opioid analgesic, ?Pain Killer? that is most often prescribed to control moderate to severe pain that must not be used with other medications. It is a slightly synthetic opiate that was created in 1916. The chemicals found in Poppy plants also make as morphine and heroin. Opiate:?A drug (such as morphine, codeine or heroin) containing or derived from opium or the opium poppy, used to alleviate pain, or induce sleep or euphoria. "Some Facts You Should Know About the History of Oxycodone." A Forever Recovery. 2014. Web. 10 Mar. 2016. Opioid:?A synthetic or semi-synthetic substance producing an opium-like effect, often prescribed for the alleviation of moderate to severe pain; a prescription painkiller in the opiate class.

Opioids are painkillers, such as—morphine, methadone, Buprenorphine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone ("What drugs are opioids?"). The opioid crisis is a national crisis that has caused 250,000 fatalities from 2000 to 2014. This crisis is a torrent of painkillers, black-market synthetic versions and heroin. A report from a federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows more adults use prescription painkillers than cigarettes. Many experts have compared this crisis to the IIIV and AIDS epidemics because it has caused citizens to be cautious. Opioids have been a major discussions topic, which has caused many officials to brain-storm ways to prevent further complications.

Doctors and clinical prescribers have discovered their role in curtailing the increased opioid prescriptions in America. It is without a doubt that they play a role in facilitating the opioid misuse endemic in the past by being enablers of the situations. When patients ask for pain medications, they do not take time to analyze the pain complaints or suggest alternative medications other than opioids. Even in instances when one doctor declines to offer a patient an opioid prescription for their pain needs, the patient is likely to find another who will give the prescription. However, there has been wide recognition of the opioid misuse endemic such that clinical prescribers are practicing more vigilant prescribing and are advocating opioid-free

Opioids are prescription drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone just to name a few. Opioids are

For thousands of years, opiates have been used in the treatment of pain. Opium is believed to have been discovered 6000 BC, and since then, it has had a huge impact on both medicine and the recreations of those seeking euphoria. More recent than the ancient discovery of natural opium are the derivatives of opium, such as the alkaloids morphine, codeine, and thebaine. From these alkaloids, semi-synthetic opiates can by synthesized, such as hydrocodone, and oxycodone. Synthetic opioids are also quite prevalent, which include fentanyl and tramadol. Opium can also be processed into heroin, a morphine derivative. As advancements were made in science and engineering to allow for a wider distribution and usage of opiates, the problems of dependence and overdose also increased drastically. According to Hart and Ksir (2013, p. 302), the invention of the hypodermic needle for intravenous administration of morphine and other drugs allowed for a much faster and more potent dose of the drug. With this increased potency came an increase in the possibility of a recreational intravenous user to overdose. Hart also mentions that some of the wars surrounding the era of the synthesis of morphine may have contributed to the rise of morphine, seeing as a medic soldier’s motto was always “first provide relief” (2013). This relief-driven attitude and extensive use of opioid analgesics in medicine during the time, in addition to the large amount of patent medicines and remedies on the market may

Individuals who use Opioids are Addicts. The history of this very debatable topic is very educational and interesting. Opioids are drugs that are prescribed for severe to chronic pain, some examples of opioids are: morphine,?methadone, Buprenorphine,?hydrocodone, and?oxycodone.?Heroin?is also an opioid and is illegal. Opioid drugs sold under brand names include: OxyContin?,?Percocet?, Palladone?(taken off the market 7/2005),Vicodin?, Percodan?, Tylox? and?Demerol? among others. These drugs are also classified as a schedule II drug.

Some examples of opioid medications are: oxycodone, fentanyl, morphine, and meperidine (Hart 2013). Not all opioids are used for pain, but this paper will focus on those that are currently used for pain in the United States.

The media portrays opioid abuse as a new dilemma, but it actually extends as far back as 1898 when Bayer Co. produced heroin, a drug made from opium, and commercialized it to be a “wonder drug” for those in need of pain relief (Moghe 2016). Today, heroin is known to be a dangerous, illegal, and addictive drug. Before doctors

The world of opioids can be divided into two categories: (1) illicit opioids and (2) prescription opioids. Illicit opioids include substances like heroin that people abuse to reach a euphoric and relaxed state. In contrast, prescription opioids are commonly used by doctors in a medical setting to treat pain. Some of these powerful painkillers include codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and methadone. While these prescription medications provide pain relief for patients who are recovering from surgery or injuries, they also pose serious risks when they are misused. Among these risks are addiction, overdose, and death.

Since the 19th century the United States has struggled with the control of opioids and how to properly treat the people who become dependent on them. By the 1980s studied revealed that the potential of drug dependence, also known as iatrogenic addiction, was relatively low for patients who were prescribed opiates for treatment (Beauchamp, 2014, p. 2023) - In the mid 1990s, Perdue Pharma introduced OxyContin, a Schedule II prescription opioid analgesic, to the pharmaceutical market (Boerner, 2016, p. 20). Since the release of OxyContin, a substantial number of Americans have been prescribed opiates for medical treatment. Society’s view on prescription opiate use has slowly shifted from being a normative treatment method recommended by healthcare professionals, to being viewed as deviant. Prescription opioids have played a large role in increased rates of incarceration, fatal and non-fatal opiate overdose, transitions to illicit drugs and HIV infection in the United States (Boerner, 2016, p. 21). Prescription opiate use is seen as deviant when the drug is misused for non-medical purposes.

Webster, an online and in print dictionary resource, describes opioids as synthetic drugs that tend to have characteristics similar to narcotics (painkillers) but are not actually associated with opium (2017). Opium is a seed of a certain poppy plant which is highly addictive. Doctors prescribe opioids, such as OxyContin, Vicodin, and Percocet, to patients either following surgery or with certain types of chronic pain- surgeries, including tonsil removal, wisdom teeth removal, or any surgery that will instill pain in the patient. Chronic pain is another issue. Advanced cancers are an opioid-treated type of chronic pain. Doctors aim to help a patient feel as little pain as possible near the end of his or her life. The National Institute of Drug

Narcotics also known as “opioids” are defined as “a drug or other substance affecting mood or behavior and sold for nonmedical purposes, especially an illegal one” (http://www.foundationsrecoverynetwork.com/what-are-narcotics-and-why-are-they-addictive/ ). Narcotics are also defined as “any drugs that full the senses and commonly become addictive after prolonged use” (http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Drugs+and+Narcotics). A narcotic is a type of drug that is prohibited, used in violation of government restriction.

Oxycodone, often sold as OxyContin, is an opiate drug that come is an opioid that comes from the poppy plant. Sometimes, Oxycodone will be combined with over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen to increase the effective and potency of the drug. In all of its forms, Oxycodone changes the way the central nervous system responds to pain by creating a euphoric and sedative effect. This time-released painkiller meant for patients who need of moderate to severe pain relief after surgery or a major

The first documented case of opioid addiction in the United States was during the U.S. Civil War of 1861-1865. “Like all other drugs, painkillers are extremely addictive. They modify the natural reward system in the brain. They also create a physical dependence where the body feels a need to take the drug. Those using painkillers for an extended period of time develop moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms which include nausea, vomiting, insomnia, muscle pain, bone pain, headaches, shaking, dizziness and severe mood swings.” (A Brief History Of Painkiller

In the 1850’s, opium addiction was a major problem in the United States. To help reduce the rates, opium addicts were provided with morphine. The idea behind their logic was that it was less potent and a non-addictive substitute. Scientists and doctors quickly learned this was not the case as morphine addiction became a bigger issue than opium addiction. This morphine substitute was heroin (The Truth about Heroin). Heroin was first synthesized from morphine in 1874 by C.R Alder Wright whom was part of a German pharmaceutical company called Bayer. From 1898 through to 1910, Bayer marketed it under the trademark name Heroin as a cough suppressant claiming that it was a non-addictive morphine substitute that is until it was discovered