Commonly Abused Pharmaceutical Drugs and Storage In Safes Per DEA Requirements
Posted by Safe & Vault on Jul 29, 2014
Unfortunately there is a growing problem in today’s society with both illegal and prescription drug abuse. Drugs being most commonly abused include those in the benzodiazepine family of drugs due to their innate ability to produce feeling of extreme relaxation and euphoria. Many treatment facilities in this country and around the world are in charge of storing these drugs for reasons of weaning users slowly from under the grip of addiction, or as supplemental treatments for addictions of other substances.
Listed below are some of the more commonly used and stored pharmaceutical and street drugs, and their Federal Drug Enforcement Agency storage regulations.
Ambien is the most commonly recognized brand name of the generic drug zolpidem. Other zolpidem based drugs commonly prescribed are; Ambien CR, Intermezzo, Stilnox, Stilnoct, Sublinox, Hypnogen, and Zolsana.
Zolpidem is a nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic. A nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic functions on a basic level similar to benzodiazepine drug, and only differs molecularly. It is the molecular differences of the nonbenzodiazepine drugs that cause them to be more difficult to become addicted to than regular benzodiazepines.
Zolpidem is a fast-acting pharmaceutical, taking effect within fifteen minutes of being administered. It has a half life of 2-3 hours, making it a reasonable option for use of insomnia. It is means to be a short term treatment option for insomnia (2-6 weeks). If taken as directed for the appropriate amount of time, zolpidem is a very effective treatment for insomnia. However, if the prescribed dose is exceeded by the patient, a tolerance may develop. Increased patient self overdosing on this drug can cause hallucinations and amnesia. Alcoholics and abusers of other substances run a higher risk of addiction.
When tolerance develops, treatment entails gradual reduction of zolpidem in the system to minimize withdrawal symptoms, which are the same as withdrawal to regular benzodiazepines.
Zolpidem is a scheduled as a Class IV drug by the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency.
Fentanyl
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid analgesic used to treat “breakthrough pain.” It can be used as a pain reliever, or an anesthetic. Breakthrough pain is pain that becomes so debilitating to its sufferer that it “breaks through” the ceiling of relief provided by other (less intense) pain relievers and anesthetics. It is often used in cases of extreme pain management (cancer and other common conditions), as well as in operating rooms, ICU’s, and pre-hospital situations. Fentanyl is its regulated prescription form is 50-100 times more potent than morphine in a dose-by-dose comparison.
Fentanyl entered clinical practice in the 1960’s under the brand name Sublimaze. By the 1990’s, it was being prescribed in several forms including a transdermal patch, lollipop form, buccal (under the tongue) dosing, and nasal inhalers. Fentanyl acts upon receptors in the brain and spinal cord, blocking them from pain. As of 2012 fentanyl was the most commonly used synthetic opioid, with the transdermal patch being the most frequently used delivery system.
The fentanyl transdermal patch is used in the treatment of chronic pain management. Via the patch, fentanyl is released into fats in the body, where it is then slowly released into the blood. Fentanyl usually takes effect within 8-12 hours, and stays active in the body over a 48-72 hour period. Because of the lapse of time between transdermal dosing and efficacy, a secondary (faster-acting) pain killer is often prescribed along with fentanyl to achieve maximum pain relief for the patient.
Due to its extreme euphoria producing side effects, abuse of fentanyl is commonplace. Fentanyl is hundreds of times stronger than street heroin, and causes a greater respiratory depression than heroin. The fact that fentanyl is often mistakenly sold as heroin on the streets is the cause of many overdoses. Many recorded street overdoses of heroin should actually be attributed to abuse of fentanyl. Many abusers of fentanyl take a mix of heroin and fentanyl known on the street as “magic” or “the bomb.”
Fentanyl addiction is often treated in a similar fashion to heroin addiction, and many times methadone or Suboxone are used to wean users slowly off of the drug to reduce the symptoms of withdrawal.
Fentanyl is scheduled as a Class I drug by the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency. Schedule I Storage Safes and Cabinets
Diamorphine (Heroin)
Heroin is the street name for an opioid analgesic synthesized in 1874 by C.R. Adler Wright. It is found naturally in the opium poppy, and is grown predominantly in Afghanistan and Mexico. It was marketed by Bayer in 1895 as an over-the-counter cough suppressant.
By 1924 the United States had reclassified heroin as a Schedule I drug, and importation, manufacture, or sale of heroin was criminalized. It can be used by prescription in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, or Denmark when treating acute pain in much the same way methadone is used in the United States. Heroin is controlled in these countries under the Misuse of Drugs Act of 1971.
Abuse of heroin as a street drug is rampant worldwide. Due to the euphoric and transcendental relaxative properties of heroin, it is highly addictive. Heroin can be purchased under the street names H, smack, horse, brown, black, tar and other monikers. Because the purity of street heroin can vary from 30%-60% the risk of overdose while using heroin is extremely high. A tolerance to heroin develops quickly, and the dose must continually be increased to achieve the same euphoric effect. Since the drug can be different chemically from one does to the next, it is hard to gauge what the actual dose of street heroin may be. Heroin has multiple delivery systems that include oral, injection, smoking, snorting, and suppository. Varying forms of delivery can also affect the intended dose.
There are many adverse effects of heroin abuse. They include;
– blood borne pathogens (such as HIV and hepatitis) from sharing needles.
– risk of bacterial or fungal endocarditis.
– abscesses
– poisoning from substances used to dilute the purity of heroin
– physical dependency.
Withdrawal from heroin often begins to occur from 6-24 hours after the last dose of heroin is administered. Depending on the severity of the addiction, withdrawal can last from hours to days. Even when withdrawal is medically supplemented with methadone or Suboxone, the process can often be remarkable uncomfortable, and include pain, anxiety, flu-like symptoms, muscle spasms, and insomnia. Treatment for heroin addiction is mainly treated with chemical assistance. Heroin remains classified as a Schedule I drug per the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency.
Clonazepam (Klonopin)
Clonazepam is the generic name of the trade name pharmaceutical Klonopin. Klonopin is a benzodiazepine produced by Roche Pharmaceuticals, and functions as a(n); anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant, sedative, and hypnotic. It is predominantly used to treat epilepsy and panic disorder, but can also be used in treating migraines, mania, and seizures connected to alcohol withdrawal.
One third of patients who are prescribed Klonopin for longer than the recommended four week course of therapy run a serious risk of addiction. Long term users of the drug may develop serious side effects with cognitive function and behavior. Depression, disinhibition, and sexual dysfunction are also often reported by Klonopin abusers.
There is a high rate of addiction due to the feeling of relaxation and euphoria reported in those taking over the recommended dosage of Klonopin. Teenagers are at a much higher risk for abuse of Klonopin due to easy accessibility, and the common mixing of drugs and alcohol in teens who are unaware of the repercussions.
Clonazepam is classified as a Schedule I drug by the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency. Storage Safes and Cabinets for Clonazepam
Methadone is a synthetic opioid first manufactured in 1937 by Germany who was in need a developing a method of pain control that did not require their dependence on outside nations for opium. It was introduced into the United States in 1947 by Eli Lilly & Company. It was initially indicated as an analgesic (pain killer) for severe and chronic pain, and was then discovered to be a viable treatment for opioid dependence.
Methadone has been proven to lessen withdrawal symptoms from the use of natural opioids without the server addictive properties. Higher doses can also block the euphoric effects of heroin and other opioids, and since a high is more difficult to reach, the instance of abuse is much lower than with heroin, thus causing a cessation of the use of heroin in addicts. When used correctly with professional supervision, methadone can be used for months, or even years, with no addictive side effects. Treatment for opioid addiction with methadone must be done by an accredited treatment facility and monitored closely by a physician.
When used as an analgesic, methadone is proving to be a better option than other mass-produced synthetic opioids because it is much more affordable than the most commonly prescribed alternative (hydrocodone), and can be dosed with less frequency.
While methadone is a very beneficial drug in many instances, it can also be abused if that is the intention of the user. Methadone can produce euphoric effects similar to low doses of heroin in those who are not regular opioid users, and can easily lead to addiction. Due to the effects of respiratory depression in users, it is also very easy to overdose. In cases of methadone addiction, the most common form of treatment is with Suboxone.
Methadone is only intended for use with the treatment of opioid addiction, and not for cases in which alcohol or amphetamine addiction is the root problem of the patient receiving treatment.
Methadone is classified as a Schedule II drug by the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency. Methadone Storage Safes, lockers and cabinets
While not true opioids in the sense that they are not derived directly from the opium poppy, semi-synthetic opioids are pharmaceuticals composed of synthetic compound that attaches to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord. Once introduced into the nervous system, semi-synthetic opioids block pain transmission and induce a euphoric feeling in the user. Also reported are feelings of warmth, drowsiness, and contentment.
Semi-synthetic opioids include (but are not limited to); hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone. They are used in treating moderate to severe pain in patients. Semi-synthetic opioids are among the most prescribed pain medications worldwide.
Due to their ability to create a euphoric effect, many times semi-synthetic opioids are abused by those to whom they are prescribed. They are also readily available as “street drugs” because of their prevalence in society. When these drugs are used in excess, they can quickly become a problem to those with whom addiction is an issue.
Withdrawal from semi-synthetic opioids can be very similar to the withdrawal experienced with opioid users, and can be incredibly painful and mentally taxing. Due to the severity of the withdrawal experienced when addicted, those in treatment are usually prescribed buprenorphine or methadone to regulate the symptoms.
Semi-synthetic opioids are classified as a Schedule I narcotic by the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency.
Hydrocodone / paracetamol
Hydrocodone / paracetamol is the generic name of the drug(s) sold under the brand names Vicodin, Lortab, and Norco. The only thing that distinguishes these drugs from standard semi-synthetic opioids is the addition of paracetamol, or acetaminophen. These drugs are used to treat moderate to severe pain, and produce a euphoric effect in the patient similar to that of other semi-synthetic, synthetic, and natural opiates.
Vicodin and its counterparts are the 2nd most prescribed drug in the world today, and the most commonly prescribed drugs for both chronic and acute pain. in 2012, approximately 142,000,000 prescriptions for this type of drug were written in the United States alone.
Since Vicodin is so readily available in today’s society, many treatment facilities are very familiar with the detoxification process for these drugs. As they are pharmacologically virtually the same as standard semi-synthetic opiates, they are treated in much the same when when addiction comes into question. Addiction therapies rely heavily on Suboxone and methadone as approved form of treatment.
Hydrocodone / paracetamol is classified as a Schedule III drug by the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency. Possible legislation may lead to a change to a Schedule II substance.
Alprazolam (Xanax)
Alprazolam (Xanax) was introduced by Upjohn Pharmaceuticals (now Pfizer, Inc.) in 1981 as a short-acting benzodiazepine to be used primarily as a treatment for panic disorders, anxiety, and nausea induced by chemotherapy. The fast-acting nature of Xanax allows patients to achieve 90% of the chemical effects of the drug in the first hour after ingestion, and the full effect is normally reached in a maximum of 1.6 hours. Xanax is meant to be taken as a long-term therapy. The drug gradually builds in one’s system over time, usually reaching peak efficacy within a week to ten days.
Narcotic like effects related to abuse of Xanax can include short term memory impairment, lack of coordination, slurred speech, confusion, disorientation, and sedation that can last up to four days when the recommended dosage is exceeded.
Xanax is normally prescribed in a dose no greater than 4 mg per day. Patients who received doses greater than 4 mg showed a much greater instance of dependence. A study completed in 1983 to measure the effects of sudden cessation of Xanax showed that the longer use of the drug, the greater the chance of addiction. While only 5% of patients taking Xanax for less than 8 months showed symptoms of withdrawal, over 43% of patients experienced withdrawal symptoms when taking the drug for over 8 months. The study also found that most patients prescribed Xanax do not abuse the drug, and that most abusers were already dealing with addictions to alcohol or other drugs.
Studies have shown that withdrawal may occur after cessation of the drug, and can be severe is stopped immediately. This being the case, normal rehabilitation for the Xanax usually consists of a gradual reduction in the dosage over a monitored period of time until the patient is no longer exhibiting signs of dependency.
Alprazolam is classified as a Schedule IV drug by the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency.
Storage of Scheduled Drugs per the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency
Steel Cabinets and Safes
All states adhere closely to Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) law with regard to storage and containment of medicinal marijuana. Regulations for storage with consideration to safes is identical regardless of which schedule the DEA classifies each individual drug within (Schedule I to Schedule V). DEA regulations under Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 1301 specify that, in the instance of small amounts of the drug permit, a safe or steel cabinet may be used. The safe or cabinet must provide;
- 30 man -minutes against surreptitious entry
- 10 man-minutes against forced entry
- 20 man-hours against lock manipulation
- 20 man-hours against radiological techniques
The Code also states that if a safe or steel cabinet weighs less than 750 lbs., it must be bolted or cemented to the floor in such a way that it cannot be removed. Depending on the quantity and type of the substance(s) being stored, the safe or cabinet must be equipped with an alarm system which, upon attempted break-in, shall transmit a signal directly to a central protection company or State police agency which has a legal duty to respond, or a 24-hour control station operated by the registrant, or such other protection. Security systems are looked at on a case by case basis per location. Working with you local DEA representative i