Concern Grows Over Actiq Misuse
Health experts and insurers have voiced concerns over abuse of the
painkiller Actiq, a fast-acting prescription medication, the Wall
Street Journal reported May 17.
Derived from opium, Actiq is sold in berry-flavored lollipops or
lozenges by Cephalon Inc. of West Chester, Pa. It was approved by
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998 to treat severe episodes
of chronic pain in cancer patients who have become tolerant to opioid
therapy.
But data from NDCHealth, a healthcare information company, finds
that the drug's use has expanded beyond cancer patients. Last year,
the number of prescriptions written for Actiq increased considerably,
to 321,463 from 77,478 in 2001.
Although Actiq's label warns that the drug "is intended to
be used only by oncologists and pain specialists," the data
shows that family-practice doctors and internists are also writing
prescriptions for Actiq.
George Furlong, vice president of provider and payment services
for Florida-based CHOICE Medical Management Services, a workers-compensation
managed-care company, said patients with back or neck pain or other
ailments are taking the drug four or more times a day.
According to addiction specialists, an increase in misuse and illegal
trade of Actiq has resulted from the growing use of the drug. It's
being sold on the street under the nickname "perc-a-pop."
"Actiq is designed to deliver a quick effect in the first
place," said Robert Bonner, vice president of medical claims
and medical director at The Hartford Financial Service Group. "It
is ripe for misdirection."
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