UK could develop worrying heroin problem warns CSJ
The potential for the UK to develop problems with heroin because of a higher rate of prescription of Oxycodone is worrying according to a researcher at the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ).
The potential for the UK to develop problems with heroin because of a higher rate of prescription of Oxycodone is worrying according to a researcher at the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ).
Research from the CSJ has found that the opioid painkiller Oxycodone was prescribed 1,093,083 times in the UK in 2014 compared to 788,607 times in 2010 a rise of 39 per cent.
Dubbed hillbilly heroin, Oxycodone has been linked to tens of thousands of deaths in the US. It was initially prescribed for late stage cancer sufferers, but in recent years has been given for an increasing number of conditions.
The drug sparked concern in the US after experts said some users had become addicted to it and then switched to heroin because it is easier, and cheaper, to obtain.
The governor of the US state of Vermont, Peter Shumlin, recently said the state had an Oxycodone problem, which has now grown into a full-blown heroin crisis.
The CSJ said that while Oxycodone does have legitimate medical use, the dramatic rise in UK prescriptions should be examined.
Figures show that in Hull the number of Oxycodone prescriptions rose by 132 per cent from 2009/10 to 2012/13, while North East Lincolnshire Care Trust saw an increase of 110 per cent and use in Trafford increased by 85 per cent in the same period.
The CSJ is calling for Oxycodone prescription numbers per GP practice to be made readily available and for more frequent reviews of repeat prescriptions.
Rupert Oldham-Reid, senior researcher at the CSJ, said while Oxycodone and other prescription drugs play an important medical role, the UK must make sure it does not over-prescribe and risk facing the problems seen in the US.
These numbers show a dramatic rise in prescriptions of Oxycodone. It is right that we ask why this is happening and what the effects may be, he said.
Were not saying it is a problem now, but looking at the figures it might be, so lets just take it seriously.
It has not really been talked about before in a UK context but these figures show in the US the increase prescription of the drugs has ultimately led to an increase in young people using heroin.
He said the figures should serve as a wake-up call, but added because of the centralised nature of the UK health service compared to the US, the UK is better equipped to prevent the problem.
We are not saying it is inevitable but given what weve seen in the US we cant afford to be complacent, he added.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said in the UK there is a fraction of the rate of prescribing of Oxycodone that has been seen in the US.
Differences in the UK and US healthcare mean it is unlikely we could develop a problem with Oxycodone and other opioid pain medicines on the scale of the US. However, we are taking action to prevent problems developing, they said.
The widespread availability in the US of prescription opioids meant that it was easy for people to access supplies prescribed to other people and so the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has been looking at whether that could be an issue in the UK and undertook a consultation on the issue.
ACMD is due to report its findings this year.
A group led by the Faculty of Pain Medicine at the Royal College of Anaesthetists and supported by Public Health England is preparing guidance on the use and risks of opioid pain medicines, including Oxycodone. It will be published in the spring.