At least 42 women die every day from a drug overdose, and almost half of those overdoses are from prescription painkillers.
According to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of women dying from prescription drug overdose has increased by more than 400% since 1999, that’s almost double 265% increase of deaths in men.

In 2010, more than 6,600 women died from prescription painkiller; that’s four times as many died from cocaine and heroin combined.

The CDC found that every three minutes a woman is admitted to the ER for prescription drug overdose. Although women between the ages of 25-54 are most likely to go to the ER, it was women between the ages of 45-54 who had the highest risk of dying from a prescription painkiller overdose.

Why is the epidemic hitting women the hardest?

CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden, states that women are more likely to have chronic pain, women may also be given higher doses and use them for longer periods of time. Also the fact that women tend to be smaller than men, means that the relative dosage may have a greater impact on a woman than a man.

“When you overprescribe to people who shouldn’t be using these drugs, it’s dangerous. Even in patients that don’t get addicted, they are dangerous.” said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, president of Physicians for Responsible Opiod Prescribing.

Frieden points to increased education for physicians and for patients, as well as more tracking and monitoring programs. Doctors need to be more cautious about prescribing and patients about using prescribed drugs.