Propofol, a drug used to sedate patients before surgery, is being abused by an increasing number of people because it is easily available, several doctors told The New York Times in a story reported Friday.
For example, a 2007 survey of the country's 126 anesthesiology resident training programs found 71 percent did not secure propofol in a pharmacy or track how it was dispensed, the Times reported.
The Drug Enforcement Administration for the last two years has been evaluating whether the potential for abuse outweighs the benefits of easy accessibility for doctors, an agency spokesman said.
If not properly monitored, propofol is extremely dangerous because it slows breathing and lowers blood pressure, said Dr. Robert R. Kirby, an emeritus professor of anesthesiology at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
"I think the number of deaths is well above what's been reported," Kirby said of propofol abuse.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International.
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