OVERVIEW
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration issued a WARNING to healthcare professionals reporting deaths and life-threatening adverse events such as respiratory depression and cardiac arrhythmias in patients receiving methadone.  These adverse events are the possible result of unintentional methadone overdoses, drug interactions, and methadone's cardiac toxicities. 

Opioids are powerful and necessary drugs for pain management, and they play a vital role in treating chronic pain.  We want to ensure that these medications, specifically methadone, remain available and that physicians continue to treat pain without risking harm to patients.  Our belief is that that we, as a society, have not paid enough respect to the power of these pain medicines.  This is what spawned the development of our campaign entitled "Zero Unintentional Deaths". 

Six Steps to Zero

1. Never take a prescription painkiller unless it is prescribed to you.
Everyone responds differently to pain medications. What is safe for one person may not be safe for another.

2. Do not take pain medicine with alcohol.
Never mix the two; it is a dangerous combi¬nation that can be deadly. Alcohol increases the toxicity of pain medication.

3. Do not take more doses than prescribed.
Even after the effects of pain medicine seem to have worn off, it is still depressing the respiratory system. Some medications like methadone may relieve pain for a few hours but will have a prolonged respiratory depressant effect. The body must develop a tolerance to the respiratory depressant effects before the dose can be increased.

4. Use of other sedative or anti-anxiety medications can be dangerous.
Combining pain medicines with other sedative drugs, such as valium, can increase the toxicity of the pain medication. Only take other medi¬cations, if directed by the prescribing doctor.

5. Avoid using narcotic medications to facilitate sleep.
Narcotic medications can suppress respiration during sleep. Speak to your physician about safe methods to manage pain during sleep.

6. Lock up prescription painkillers.
If consumed by children or other family members, or stolen and sold on the street, prescription pain medicine can kill.