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Report: Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Need to be More Proactive

Pill-bottle-closeup State prescription drug monitoring programs need to shift from a reactive approach to a proactive one, according to a new report by the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Center of Excellence at Brandeis University.

Brandeis experts assessed state prescription drug monitoring programs, and concluded all states should follow best practices to improve their effectiveness, PsychCentral.com reports.

"Being proactive is the key to success in the fight against prescription painkiller abuse," researcher John L. Eadie said in a news release.

Study Links Mothers Who Let Kids Sip Alcohol and Children’s Reported Drinking

Alcohol-sipping A new study finds a link between mothers' belief that it is acceptable to let their children sip alcohol, and their children's reported alcohol use.

The study found one-quarter of mothers of young children believed allowing children to sip an alcoholic drink would likely deter them from drinking in the future.

The study of 1,050 pairs of mothers and their third-grade children, who participated in the four-year study, found 33 percent of children reported alcohol use.

Substance Abuse Among Military is Public Health Crisis, Report Says

Army-feet Substance abuse among members of the U.S. military and their families has become a public health crisis, according to a new report. The Defense Department's approaches to preventing and treating substance abuse are outdated, the report states.

The Institute of Medicine report, which was requested by the Defense Department, found about 20 percent of active duty service members say they engaged in heavy drinking in 2008, the latest year for which data is available. The Associated Press reports binge drinking increased from 35 percent in 1998, to 47 percent a decade later.

The report also found the rate of prescription drug abuse is on the rise. In 2002, an estimated 2 percent of active-duty personnel said they misused prescription drugs, compared with 11 percent in 2008.

Veterans Struggling With PTSD and Substance Abuse Face Increased Risk of Death

Soldier Veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse face an increased risk of death, a new study suggests.

The study included 272,509 veterans who were diagnosed with PTSD. Those who had a substance use disorder were more likely to die during the study follow-up period.

For all age groups, veterans with PTSD and substance use disorder were more likely to die from injuries than those with PTSD alone.

For veterans under age 45, those with PTSD and substance use disorder were more likely than older veterans to die from non-injury-related causes, PsychCentral.com reports.

Study Links “Doctor Shopping” with Fatal Overdoses of Prescription Drugs

Shopping-cart-of-pills A new study links "doctor shopping" with an increased risk of dying from an overdose of prescription drugs, HealthDay reports.

Researchers from the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy examined information from the state's Controlled Substance Monitoring Program, and information on drug-related deaths in the state from July 2005 through December 2007.

They identified about 700 drug-related deaths during this period. Among the deceased, about 25 percent visited multiple doctors to receive prescriptions, while almost 17.5 percent visited multiple pharmacies.

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