The number of prescription opioid pills shipped in the U.S. in the second half of the 2010s decreased sharply even as a nationwide overdose crisis continued to deepen, according to data released Tuesday.
But Mougey pointed out that as prescription drug shipments decreased, illicit opioids — particularly heroin and illegally produced versions of fentanyl — increased.
During that time, prescription drugs were the opioids linked to the most deaths in the U.S.
The newly released data is the first deep look at what happened with prescription drug shipments later in the 2010s.
By the early 2010s, policymakers and doctors were restricting access to prescription opioids.
Persons:
” Peter Mougey, Mougey, Dan Polster, Sackler, Polster, ” Polster
Organizations:
U.S . Drug, Administration, System, U.S, District, Washington Post, HD Media, Purdue Pharma, Kroger
Locations:
U.S, ARCOS, Appalachia, Cleveland, West Virginia