Prescription Drug Addiction

In U.S., Prescription Drug Abuse Is Growing

TUESDAY, Dec. 29 (HealthDay News) -- The overdose death of pop star Michael Jackson in 2009 drew new attention to the abuse of prescription drugs in the United States.

And with that attention has come acknowledgment that it's become a widespread phenomenon.

Oxycodone Linked to Rise in Opioid-Related Deaths

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- In the Canadian province of Ontario, painkiller abuse appears to have boosted the number of deaths from the drug known as oxycodone.

Makers of Powerful Painkillers Present Safety Plans

FRIDAY, Dec. 4 (HealthDay News) -- The makers of 24 different prescription painkillers on Friday presented federal regulators with plans to curb the abuse of these opioid drugs.

Sharing Prescriptions Can Bring Harm, Not Healing

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Sharing prescription medication with a family member or friend who needs care may seem like the right thing to do, even an act of kindness. But new research highlights the potential hazards of passing these medicines around.

FDA Advisers Back New OxyContin Pill

U.S. health advisers on Thursday recommended approval of a new version of the painkiller OxyContin that is designed to lessen its misuse.

New OxyContin Offers 'Limited' Resistance to Abuse: FDA

A new version of the painkiller OxyContin is somewhat harder to abuse than the current version, say U.S. health officials.

Prescription Drug Abuse Declines, Study Finds

Abuse of prescription drugs such as the painkiller Oxycontin declined last year from 2007, reversing an upward trend, a U.S. drug survey finds.

Abuse of ADHD Drugs on the Rise

MONDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- As more and more prescriptions are being written for medications to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), more and more children are abusing these drugs.

Medicines Top Source of Kids' Poisonings

TUESDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- The leading cause of accidental poisonings among American children can be found in the family medicine cabinet, a new government report shows.

Questions to Pharmacists Rise After Michael Jackson's Death

THURSDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- News reports about a possible link between pop star Michael Jackson's death and his alleged abuse of prescription drugs may have increased the public's concern abo