Medical Toxicology Commons^™

Latest Trends In The Heroin Epidemic And The Responsibility Of The Pharmacist In Controlling Heroin Abuse, Alexandra Herman, Cassandra Hacker, Emily Wells, Sabrina Hamman, Manoranjan D'Souza

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Over the last few years, there has been an exponential increase in morbidity and mortality associated with heroin abuse. The current rise in heroin abuse and overdose is attributed to widespread use and abuse of prescription opioids, which can produce significant euphoric effects in humans. In fact, reports suggest that heroin abusers initially become addicted to prescription opioids but subsequently switch to heroin because it is cheaper and more easily available than prescription opioids. Over the years, the purity of heroin available for illicit use has been on the decline. Smugglers and heroin vendors have started mixing heroin with other …