North Carolina News: Item 2108 - Upsurge in Child Deaths Attributable To Unintentional Methadone Overdoses

April 1, 2006 1:04 PM Topics: Pain management

Reprinted from the April 2006 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter.

Between 2000 and 2004, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recorded 24 fatalities in adolescents and children caused by unintentional methadone overdoses. The deaths are attributable to recreational use of methadone poached from another patient’s supply. Methadone has an extremely long half-life and remains active in a patient’s body for several days. A methadone overdose results in severe, sometimes fatal, respiratory depression.
 

The Board strongly encourages pharmacists to counsel their patients receiving methadone for pain management about the severe danger that recreational use of methadone poses, particularly to children and adolescents. Pharmacists should instruct patients to keep their methadone supply secure, not to leave it where others – especially children – can get it, and to call 911 immediately if they suspect someone has taken methadone and is having trouble breathing.
 

For more information about methadone overdoses in children, please contact:
Kay Sanford, MSPH; Head, Injury Epidemiology Unit
Injury and Violence Prevention Branch
NC-DHHS Division of Public Health
1915 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1915
Phone: 919/707-5434; Fax: 919/870-4803
kay.sanford@ncmail.net