Recall of Opioid Pain Relievers - Research Paper

Introduction

Health is a matter of concern for human beings and the related living organisms. The existence of doctors and clinicians has helped in the rectifications of life challenging diseases. Nonetheless, people have complained of the use of certain drugs meant to treat them unlike it is expected to work out in fighting bacteria and viruses. The role of nurses and doctors is to examine, diagnose, treat and take care of patients within their workplaces. However, the nature of drugs issued to the sick individuals is the role of pharmacists to counter check. Publications of journals and blogs on the alert of the existence of toxic medications raise the attention of pharmacologists and pharmaceuticals in conducting similar research to the problem at hand. The explanations bound to the recall of Opioid pain reliever is the subject of concern based upon the physical and chemical composition which has resulted in an increase in the number of deaths in the past ten years.

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The body of the human race is organized in such a way that when exposed to injuries it experiences pains or further damages when not logically treated. The founders of Pharmaceuticals on the other side came up with an alternative of relieving such kind of pain. The manufacturing of pain relievers resulted in the development of opioids. Opioids are pain relievers which work similarly like endorphins, and they are also known as happy pills. The manufacturing organ that was bestowed with the responsibility of processing and distributing the addictive drug is Xanodyne chemists. The history for its handling began way in 1955 until late 2010 when the pharmaceutical company was abandoned by the drug regulatory bodies. Opioids are classified into different types listed but not limited to hydrocodone, methadone, propoxyphene, codeine, oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl, hydromorphone, meperidine, and diphenoxylate (McCarthy, 2013). These are the generic names of the dangerous opioids drug. Moreover, the pharmacological names for the drug are related to Dolphin, Butrans, Avinza, Duragesic, Exalgo, Ms. Contin, Opana ER, Oxycotin, Kadian, Nucynta ER. The opioids were meant to treat acute pains, chronic pains, and severe pains during and after surgeries, coughs, and diarrhea (Colloca, 2005). Other roles played by the drug are a reversal of opioids overdose, therapy, and opioid disorders. The treatment process involves the action of the drug on opioid receptors which later produces the morphine-like effects on patients.

The chemical structure of opioid pain relievers is represented as shown above. The chemical name for the structure is morphine.

Just like any other drug, opioids are encountered with a series of side effects after consumption for whichever reason. Doctors in collaboration with pharmacists educate patients on the negative impacts of medicines and the foods to avoid when under medication. Nonetheless, a high number of patients estimated to 25% of the world's population never understand the basis and importance of learning the side effects (Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 2009). Researchers' admits that the use of opioids is affecting the lives of innocent citizens. The side effects are related to body itchiness, constipation, euphoria, nausea, and depression in the respiratory system. Due to the addictive nature of the drug, many at times individuals are tempted to overdose. Addiction is the condition where a person cannot stay minus taking or using a particular thing, but in the case of the research at hand, the habit is related to consumption of opioids pain relievers.

Human beings are creators which fear pains of what nature but with the invention of the pain reliever, individuals have fallen into the trap of continuously misusing the opioids for wrong purposes. Concerning the misuse and consumption of the drug, in the years between 1981 and 1999 a total of over 2110 deaths were reported, and upon medical postmortem, the deaths were related to usage of opioids. Talking of the current cases witnessed links the paper to shortlisted the population of users of the drug to range between 28 million to 38 million individuals by 2003 (Dunn, 2010). However, the large number reduced to 4 million in 2011 but statistics carried out in 2015 indicated an increase in individuals aged between 16- 68 depending on the drug.

The mistakes connected to the manufactures of opioids are blamed for the increased death rates of the drug. Instead of purposely describing the role of the medicine and the required amount to be swallowed during prescriptions, the manufactures hinted more on the additional functions of the drug and on the same note producing more of this pain reliever instead of controlling the amounts disbursed in the medical health centers. To a point, the blame is on doctors and health practitioners who ignore their role of educating patients on the side effects of painkillers and related drugs. The heroine can be classified under opioids, but even as the governments fight the sales and marketing of the illicit drug, other parastatals in collaboration with doctors encourage patients to consume the drug due to its being anesthesia. Manufactures are greedy for wealth and easy money; this is a mistake which the opioids drug manufactures made. The leaking medicines transported in trains for long distances resulted in its diversification to people. The youths are more affected than the aged.

Pfizer is the organization which announced the international recall of opioid-related drugs. This happened after a sample of two batches of naloxone was tested in the laboratory. The contents of the opioid pain reliever in the syringe were found to possessing toxic substances which in accordance to the food and drug administration would cause harmful side effects in the lives of human beings. The quality control in the production plant of the opioids raised the alarm on the Pfizer. A warning letter was issued from the FDA following the inspection of the plant facility responsible for the manufacture of opiates.

The shortages in the supply of the addictive drugs in the manufacturing firms were the main issue which resulted to its recall since the management was not accountable of the amounts of medications produced while on the other case the quality and quantity control agencies had complained about the contents and diversification of the drugs. There is no drug yet which has replaced opioid since its recall because the consequences initiated by the users of the drug are still fresh in the brains of people. The few who might access the drugs are still facing health issues and are not at peace. Proposals have been made by different medical agencies on a replacement. However, during surgeries, anesthesia is adopted to help reduce the pains to the patients.

Conclusion

In conclusion, opioid painkillers are drugs manufactured for purposes of relieving pain during mild and severe injuries. Nevertheless, the usage of the drug among youths and the aged has resulted in maximum addiction which later translates to health effects. The cases related to addiction, the existence of toxic substances in the drug and increased death cases of individuals led to the recall of the material. The body responsible for the closure and recall of the opioid medication is Pfizer, and to date, a replacement of an alternative is in progress.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids among Medicaid enrollees-Washington, 2004-2007. MMWR: Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 58(42), 1171-1175.

Colloca, L., & Benedetti, F. (2005). Placebos and painkillers: is mind as real as matter? Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 6(7), 545.

Dunn, K. M., Saunders, K. W., Rutter, C. M., Banta-Green, C. J., Merrill, J. O., Sullivan, M. D. ... & Von Korff, M. (2010). Opioid prescriptions for chronic pain and overdose: a cohort study. Annals of internal medicine, 152(2), 85-92.

McCarthy, M. (2013). Opioid overdose deaths rose fivefold among US women in 10 years. BMJ: British Medical Journal (Online), 347.