The Centers for Disease Control says death rates associated with accidental prescription drug overdoses jumped 63 percent from 1999 to 2004
New stats from the health department show accidental poisoning from prescription drugs sends 700,000 people to the emergency room each year.
The Centers for Disease Control says death rates associated with accidental prescription drug overdoses jumped 63 percent from 1999 to 2004. However, it’s not just people mixing or taking prescription drugs on purpose. Grant says people 65 and older sometimes mix up their medicine by accident, and kids under 5 are at risk too. To avoid a dangerous situation and to avoid a trip to the hospital, pharmacists says to always read the label.
“Even if it’s something you’ve taken every day for the past 20 years, always check the bottle,” said Hayes Pharmacy Pharmacist Marl Halbrook. “Check the name of the drug. Check the strength of the drug, and check your directions. Be sure you’re taking what you think you’re taking.”
The CDC says accidental overdoses of narcotic pain medications kill more people in their 40s than cocaine or heroin.
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