Nationwide Drug Testing and On-Site Medical Services By Mobile Medical Corporation

Authorities around the country are starting to see signs of dangerous new drug trend called "wasping". "Wasping" is an abuse of the active components in insect killer, most commonly wasp killer spray, to achieve a high. In most cases it has been found to be abused in combination with methamphetamines or used as a meth substitute. According to ABC News, "The active ingredient in pesticides is a class of molecules known as pyrethroids, which penetrate the insect’s nervous system. In insects, pyrethroids stun and then kill. In humans, they block normal nerve signaling, causing abnormal sensation and, in the worst cases, seizures or even paralysis." Additional extreme physical responses to wasping have been reported. Side effects include: respiratory failure or paralysis, headache, nausea, incoordination, tremors, facial flushing and swelling and burning and itching sensations. Large scale side effects and toxins have yet to be seen as this a relatively new ...

In early August 2018, Cuyahoga County, Ohio saw 14 people die from drug overdoses in a span of five days. Between August 2nd and August 6th the youngest person to overdose was 21 years old, the oldest one was 72 years old. Out of the 14 people 50% of them were 60 or older. Considering that the largest population of overdose victims typically ranges from 45-55 years old and that overdose deaths in Cuyahoga county in 2018 are projected to reach 727 deaths, this large amount of deaths in a short period of time is concerning to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office. "This is a concerning trend. The county is working with our local and federal partners to analyze it and identify its source," said Dr. Thomas Gilson, Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner.

According to a recent study by the Kaiser Family Family Foundation, large employers are currently experience a large increase in costs related to treating opioid addiction and overdoses for workers and their families. This comes despite a decrease in opioid prescriptions and overall opioid use being down. The cost of treatment is rising as well, the annual inpatient cost for opioid addiction treatment averaged $16,104 in 2016 up from $5,809 in 2006. "About four in ten people addicted to opioids are covered by private health insurance and Medicaid covers a similarly large share. Despite declining rates of opioid prescribing to those with employer coverage, spending on treatment for opioid addiction and overdose has increased rapidly, potentially tied to growing illicit use and increased awareness of opioid addiction. Opioid addiction and overdose treatment – the bulk of which is for dependents of employees – represents a small but growing share of overall employer health spending,...

After analyzing more than 10 million drug tests, Quest Diagnostics released their annual Drug Testing Index, which revealed that workforce drug positivity is at its highest rate in a decade. 4.2 percent of the combined U.S. workforce tested positive in 2017. These findings also showed increases in cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine use. Marijuana positivity was up the most in states with new legalization statutes. While cocaine and methamphetamine use increased, prescription opiates have seen a decline. “It’s unfortunate that we mark 30 years of the Drug-Free Workplace Act with clear evidence that drugs continue to invade the country’s workplaces,” Barry Sample, senior director of science and technology at Quest Diagnostics, said in the report. “Not only have declines appeared to have bottomed out, but also in some drug classes and areas of the country drug positivity rates are increasing. These changing patterns and geographical variations may challenge the ability of employers t...

While our country faces the harsh realities of the opioid epidemic, benzodiazepines are also emerging as popular drugs of abuse. Bloomberg dubbed benzodiazepines, sometimes called “benzos,” as American’s next big drug problem, citing that prescriptions have increased nearly 70% this century. Last month, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reported that more than 30% of opioid overdoses also involve benzodiazepines. These drugs are not opioids. Doctors prescribe benzodiazepines like Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin to treat anxiety, seizures, and insomnia. If taken over time, people can develop a tolerance to these sedatives, introducing the potential for symptoms like panic attacks to worsen, The Chicago Tribune. Benzodiazepine prescriptions have been steadily climbing over the past 2 decades. Dr. Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences with the Stanford University School of Medicine, is studying the relationship between prescription drugs and addicti...

A new study finds the number of drivers fatally injured in automobile accidents who tested positive for one or more substances is rising, according to U.S. News & World Report. The study, by the Governors Highway Safety Association, found that 44 percent of fatally injured drivers with known test results tested positive for drugs in 2016, up from 28 percent a decade earlier. More than half of the drivers had marijuana, opioids or a combination of the two in their system, the study found. Thirty-eight percent tested positive for marijuana, 16 percent tested positive for opioids and 4 percent tested positive for both. Among the drivers tested for alcohol, 37.9 percent tested positive in 2016, down from 41 percent in 2006. MAY 31, 2018 BY PARTNERSHIP NEWS SERVICE STAFF

A new study finds the rise in drug overdose deaths in the United States has contributed to an increase in organ transplants, CNN reports. Overdose death donors accounted for 1.1 percent of donors in 2000 and 13.4 percent in 2017, representing a 24-fold rise, the researchers report in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The study also found many organs from overdose-death donors were not used to save lives when they could have been. “The current epidemic of deaths from overdose is a tragedy. It would also be tragic to continue to underutilize life-saving transplants from donors,” said lead researcher Dr. Christine Durand of Johns Hopkins University. “We have an obligation to optimize the use of all organs donated. The donors, families and patients waiting deserve our best effort to use every gift of life we can.” APRIL 19, 2018 BY PARTNERSHIP NEWS SERVICE STAFF