White Paper

The CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) now considers prescription drug abuse in the US an epidemic. Abuse in these cases can be defined as the intentional misuse of pharmaceuticals to deliver a desirable physiological and psychological effect. These drugs are abused via several known routes, including chemical tampering or crushing followed by insufflation, intravenous intake or via oral abuse, using greater than prescribed doses.

Driven by public health, governmental and regulatory bodies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), vast investment has already been made into reduction of abuse and misuse of prescription drugs. The abuse deterrence of prescriptions, particularly in the case of opioids, is a key area of concern and, as a result, a growing market has emerged.

This white paper explores the market drivers for abuse deterrence and identifies possible solutions, including Lucideon's Intelligent Controlled Release Technology (iCRT^TM).