The serious car accident in Handan that left 4 dead and 10 injured was caused by an overdose of medication! Are prescription painkillers drugs?

Recently, a man in Handan, Hebei Province, took an excessive amount of a prescription analgesic, which resulted in a tragic car accident that left 4 dead and 10 injured. Why are prescription analgesics so harmful? What are the differences between them and drugs?

Written by Si Qian (clinical pharmacist specializing in anti-tumor medicine at Zhengzhou People’s Hospital)

Reviewer/Xiong Chaogang (Clinical Pharmacist of Anti-infection Specialty at Xi'an Chest Hospital)

Zhao Ning (Deputy Chief Pharmacist, Peking University First Hospital)

New Media Editor/Li Yunfeng

Graphic editor/Chen Yongjie

Recently, a car accident in Handan, Hebei Province, became a hot topic on the Internet. The accident caused 10 injuries and 4 deaths. The police report showed that the suspect in the accident took an excessive amount of prescription analgesics, which led to the accident. Many netizens questioned the prescription analgesics mentioned in the report, believing that the suspect was "driving under the influence of drugs." So what is the difference between prescription analgesics and drugs?

▲Car accident scene (Photo source/CCTV.com)

First, let's look at the classification of analgesics:

Analgesics are simply divided into non-opioid prescription drugs and opioid prescription drugs.

Non-opioid analgesics include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and medications for neuropathic pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs include ibuprofen, indomethacin, diclofenac, etc. Currently, most of these single-ingredient drugs on the market are over-the-counter drugs. Long-term use does not pose a risk of addiction, nor does it cause side effects such as drowsiness or respiratory depression that may affect driving or mechanical operation.

▲Ibuprofen is a commonly used over-the-counter analgesic drug (Photo source: Science Popularization China)

Neuropathic pain medication

Pregabalin and gabapentin are commonly used in clinical practice. These drugs are prescription drugs. Under normal usage and dosage, they can cause adverse reactions such as dizziness and drowsiness. Overdose may cause drowsiness, confusion, and even coma. Generally, dizziness and drowsiness appear within a short period of time after the initial use. Long-term use is generally tolerated. If it is not tolerated, it will generally be stopped at the beginning of the medication and replaced with other analgesics.

Opioid analgesics

Oral dosage forms of drugs currently on sale include: morphine, oxycodone, methadone, tramadol, etc. These drugs are specially managed drugs by the state and are divided into narcotic drugs and psychotropic drugs. During the use of these drugs, drowsiness, respiratory depression, and even unreasonable use may lead to drug dependence. If these drugs are properly managed and used, they can play the inherent preventive and curative effects of the drugs; on the contrary, if they are improperly managed and used, they will not only endanger people's physical and mental health, but also endanger society. At present, in my country, such drugs must be prescribed by a doctor before they can be prescribed, and there are strict restrictions on the course of treatment each time. Generally, they will not flow into society and cause abuse. In everyone's cognition, such drugs are often equated with drugs.

▲The prescription analgesic drug compound tramadol tablets has become a new type of drug (Photo source: Science Popularization China)

So are opioid painkillers drugs?

The definition of drugs in the "Drug Control Law" (Draft) is: opium, heroin, methamphetamine (ice), morphine, marijuana, cocaine, and other narcotic drugs and psychotropic drugs that can cause addiction and are regulated by the state.

It can be seen that most opioid painkillers belong to the category of drugs. These drugs are addictive and once abused, they become drugs. However, these drugs are also long-term painkillers used by patients with severe pain, especially cancer pain. They will not become addictive or abused if used properly under the guidance of a doctor. Once a patient is found to be seeking drugs (desperately thinking about, looking for, and using drugs), they must be given correct guidance and strict management to avoid drug abuse causing serious harm to individuals and society.

References:

1. Regulations on the Administration of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Drugs

2. Drug Administration Law of the People’s Republic of China

3. Draft of the Anti-Drug Law

4. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines for Cancer Pain in Adults

Produced by: Science Central Kitchen

Produced by: Beijing Science and Technology News | Beijing Science and Technology Media

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