USA Today, in its May 8, 2015, on-line edition, reported on the results from a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study on the prevalence of hepatitis C in the United States. In the study, CDC researchers showed that the rates of hepatitis C cases in the US had more than tripled from 2006 to 2012, with the states Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia showing the largest increases. According to the article, the CDC study suggests that the surge in hepatitis C cases in the US is driven by increased IV use of prescription opioids and heroin (
Hepatitis C infections soaring, fueled by prescription painkiller abuse).
In the CDC study, more than 70% of people infected with hepatitis C said they had injected drugs, and that rates of hepatitis C were twice as high in rural areas than in cities. The article also reports that abuse of prescription pain killers has fueled an increase in HIV cases in rural areas of the Midwest. In Indiana, where 149 HIV cases have recently emerged, most people newly diagnosed with HIV reported injecting a prescription painkiller called Opana.
The article quotes CDC researchers and US social service experts as advocating for an expansion of substance abuse prevention and treatment programs. This includes increasing the treatment of opioid addiction with medications and permitting more localities to begin their own needle exchanges.
Cerilliant offers the widest selection of Certified Spiking Solutions® and Certified Reference Materials for opiates such as hydrocodeine, morphine, buprenorphine, and heroin in addition to other parent drugs, metabolites, impurities, and degradants and their stable-labeled internal standards. These certified reference solutions are suitable for numerous applications in clinical and forensic toxicology testing as well as adherence monitoring. Since opiates and synthetic analgesics are classified as controlled substances, we supply most of these reference standards as DEA-exempt solutions for added convenience.
Cerilliant reference solutions are manufactured and certified to the highest industry standards including ISO Guide 34, ISO/IEC 17025, and ISO 13485. Each Certified Spiking Solution® is supported by a comprehensive Certificate of Analysis (COA) which provides all analytical data and uncertainty and traceability information to support regulatory requirements.
Click on the link below to view our complete listing of opiate certified reference standards: