Meier explains how, in its initial form, Ox圜ontin was designed as a time-released version of oxycodone - meant to ease pain for many hours at a time without interruption. He focuses in particular on Ox圜ontin - how it came to be prescribed for chronic pain, what the consequences have been, and how it became a street drug.
and explores opiate painkillers and the consequences of long-term use. Meier's new e-book, A World of Hurt: Fixing Pain Medicine's Biggest Mistake, is published by The New York Times Co. The number of people dying from these drugs is second only to the number of people that die in car accidents," he tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross. "The current statistic is that about 16,000 people a year die of overdoses involving prescription narcotics.
In the decade since New York Times reporter Barry Meier began investigating their use and abuse, he says he has seen the number of people dying from overdoses quadruple - an increase Meier calls "staggering." Prescription painkillers are among the most widely used drugs in America. Barry Meier's A World of Hurt is being released by The New York Times Co.
0 kommentar(er)
