Researchers also found that five drugs — OxyContin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, propoxyphene and methadone — accounted for two-thirds of the total economic burden.
Of the estimated $53.4 billion total cost in 2006, 79 percent was attributable to lost productivity, 15 percent to criminal justice costs, 4 percent to drug abuse treatment and 2 percent to medical complications.
Read the Clinical Journal of Pain report on opioids.
Related Articles on Pain Medications:
New York Official Calls for Reporting Use of Opioids, Other Restricted Drugs
6 Steps Pain Physicians Can Take to Curtail Misuse of Opioids
Obama Administration Wants Tighter Control on Prescriptions
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