It's meant to heal, but when abused prescription medications like methadone can be deadly.
Kosciusko County isn't immune from the problems associated with drug abuse.
According to Kosciusko County Coroner John Sadler, since January 2007 there have been 12 reported deaths due to multiple drug overdose, with methadone being a factor in many of those deaths.The Office of National Drug Control Policy's Web site defines methadone as "a rigorously well-tested medication that is safe and efficacious for the treatment of narcotic withdrawal and dependence."
Historically, methadone has been used to help heroin addicts through withdrawals. In recent years, methadone has been prescribed to people dealing with chronic pain as well as those dealing with addictions to prescription drugs such as Oxycontin.
"The problem comes in stacking doses," said Kosciusko County Health Officer Dr. William Remington. "The half-life of methadone lasts longer than other drugs."
Remington received national attention last year when he, with the Bowen Center, put up a billboard along Ind. 13 that simply stated "Methadone Kills."
People abusing methadone often take multiple doses not realizing that one dose of methadone stays in a person's blood stream for nearly 96 hours.
An official with the Kosciusko County Drug Task force said another problem is abusers equate taking more doses with getting a better high.
"With methadone, when people are prescribed it they are weaned onto and off the drug," said the official. "The problem is the ones abusing it are taking these doses and their body isn't used to it."
"It's like playing Russian roulette," said Sadler of methadone abuse.
"The problem is that it's not always just straight-forward methadone overdose," said Sadler about trying to determine the number of methadone-related deaths. "Alcohol is involved, some other pain killers or other drugs."
Remington recognizes the problem of the ambiguity of numbers when it comes to methadone-related overdoses. He believes that if the county, along with the state, set up a registry to track methadone-related deaths, the numbers would become clearer and perhaps shed a better light on the topic.
Stricter controls on the prescribing of methadone can cut down on abuse.
"The challenge is to use it carefully in structured environments," said Remington. "I don't want people to go without their pain medications, but we really need to birddog the pill counts."
Insurance companies also are a factor in the prescription of methadone.
A June 2007 report released by the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors with support from other organizations from the substance abuse and mental health field stated, "The properties that make methadone appropriate for addiction treatment - long action, low need for dose escalation and low cost - apply equally to methadone as a pain medication, and it has been reported that insurance companies have been encouraging physicians to prescribe methadone because of its low cost."
According to a report from the Center for Disease Control, between 1999 and 2002 the number of opioid analgesic poisonings listed on death certificates increased 91.2 percent, passing heroin and cocaine, which increased 12.4 and 22.8 percent respectively.
Opoid analgesics are pain relievrs that provide a morphine-like effect.
Among those opioid analgesic poisonings, 54 percent were from drugs such as oxycodone and hydrocodone; 32 percent were from methadone; and 13 percent were from synthetic opiods such as fetanyl.
"There has been an increase in pain medication addiction across the board," said Vicki Ley, addiction services coordinator at the Bowen Center. "The treatment is for people to go through detox, then into an intensive outpatient program, group therapy and Narcotics Anonymous."
The rise in abuse of methadone is also being seen by local law enforcement.
The county drug task force sees abuse of methadone daily.
Often times, methamphetamine labs also are providing addicts places to buy prescription drugs and other illicit narcotics.
A drug task force official said that many of the people he, his officers and informants observe are obtaining methadone and other prescription drugs through legal means.
Methadone abuse provides an alternative to methamphetamine use as a means of getting high.
"It's alluring, it's easy," said the official. "You don't have to try and steal anhydrous ammonia or go to the store and buy pseudoephedrine and worry about getting caught. The informants I deal with say the high isn't as good, but it's a drug of convenience."
The official noted methadone is a way of treating people with chronic pain and other ailments, but there is another side to it.
"The doctors and others trying to treat those with real problems have good hearts," said the official. "But they're not in these trailers where they're making meth and selling these drugs, or in these homes with kids where they're being effected by the drug abuse."
Warsaw Police Department is currently investigating the unattended death of Nathan Sanders, 27, of Fort Wayne, who died Jan. 6 in an area hotel room.
Police are still waiting on toxicology reports, but methadone may have been in his system at the time of his death.
Dr. Vidya Kora, LaPorte county coroner, has been a proponent of adopting legislation giving better oversight and more rigorous standards to the distribution of methadone.
"The problem I have is with for-profit companies running methadone clinics," said Kora. "I don't want this to be a growth industry. I don't know whether having for-profit companies running those clinics best addresses the public health issue."
Kora said he became involved in the methadone issue after LaPorte County had 12 methadone-related deaths, which is the same as Kosciusko County, but LaPorte has nearly 40,000 more residents.
The Indiana State Medical Association proposed a bill to Rep. Pat Miller, the chairman of the State Health Committee, which was introduced to both the state house and senate that would tighten regulations on the prescription of methadone.
As of Wednesday afternoon, no date had been set for a vote to be taken on that bill.
