Opioid shortages force patients to seek options
Aug. 15—Opioid pain medications can help many dealing with chronic and debilitating conditions live their lives, but they can also lead to addiction if misused.
Shannon Gower, pharmacist at Tahlequah Drug Co., said opioids can sometime be prescribed acutely — for example, after surgery for short periods of time.
If these medications are being used for pain management, Gower said, the patient is usually dealing with a chronic condition like degenerative joint disease, joint issues, or back and spine problems. Autoimmune disease sufferers may also be prescribed pain medication.
"Or people who have metal in their bodies," she said.
If that metal can't be taken out, she said, opioid pain medications can be prescribed to help the person manage pain.
There is currently an intermittent shortage of certain types of opioid medications.
According to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, which collects data and releases bulletins on national drug shortages, there is a shortage of oxycodone hydrochloride oral tablets of various dosages. The shortage was first announced March 16, 2023, and as of July 31, the shortage was still ongoing, leaving pharmacies sometimes without any medication for up to two months at a time.
Drug manufacturers reported varying reasons for the shortage. According to ASHP new releases from July 31, Camber Pharmaceuticals is awaiting U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration quota approval for an active ingredient; Major and Rhodes did not provide a reason for the shortage; and Mallinckrodt refused to provide availability information. Both Alvogen and KVK-Tech have oxycodone immediate-release tablets available.
Many local pharmacies are dealing with the effects of these shortages, like Tahlequah Drug Co. Gower said these shortages are being felt across the board.
"It's a manufacturer supply issue," said Gower.
Gower explained that pharmacies get their medications from different wholesale providers, and the supply issues with each eventually hit all at once. People dealing with the shortage may have to switch to another product for a time until their medication becomes available again.
Many people depend on these medications to go about their daily lives, but they can cause harm if misused. From 2013-2017, the Oklahoma State Department of Health found there were 30 unintentional prescription opioid overdose deaths in Cherokee County. In addition, the prescription rate for adults in Cherokee County was 21% higher than the average Oklahoma rate. Three out of four who died, OSDH states, had a history of substance abuse.
The Federal Drug Administration made updates to its prescribing information for opioid pain medications in April. Among its findings, the FDA said, those prescribed these medications for acute pain are often given more than needed. This can lead to unused medication that can "provide opportunities for non-medical use, accidental exposure, and overdose" when not properly disposed of.
"Data suggest some patients who are prescribed opioid pain medicines may progress to non-medical use of opioids and other controlled substances, contributing to the number of opioid-related overdoses," the FDA stated in the release.
Addiction can progress over time. District Attorney Jack Thorp, whose office has created and implemented a fentanyl eradication program over the past two years, told the Daily Press in early August that this could lead to more potent and lethal drugs.
"Sometimes a lot of individuals get addicted to opioids, and then they can't afford the medication anymore, and they will switch to heroin," said Thorp. "Now a lot of those who were using heroin have switched to fentanyl, or fentanyl with a heroin cut. Fentanyl is 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine."
