This Gazette investigation focuses on methadone, a drug that not only can kill pain, but also can kill the person taking it, even at the recommended dosage.
Accidental poisoning deaths in the state shot up dramatically in five years and the reporters found the main culprit was a drug called methadone. For more than six months, Tuckwiller and Finn investigated why so many people die after taking methadone. After interviewing medical examiners, epidemiologists and other experts across the nation, they discovered another cause – methadone being prescribed to treat pain.
The report finds that the FDA has approved a “usual adult dosage” on the package insert for methadone that several studies say could be deadly.
Judges’ Comments: An ambitious, thoroughly reported and well-written series highlighting the growing use of methadone as a prescription pain medication. Reporters Finn and Tuckwiller linked a rise in accidental poisoning deaths to the fact that methadone was becoming a preferred choice for pain relief among insurers because of its low cost. Their excellent work no doubt saved lives.