Ameritox(SM) Offers Unique Monitoring Service to Support Physicians on Front Lines of Oxymorphone Misuse and Abuse

"Oxymorphone has an important role in the treatment of chronic pain – but like other opioids, it has potential for misuse and abuse, which must be balanced with the need to protect patient access to pain relief and quality care," said Dr. Harry Leider, chief medical officer of Ameritox. "These data can support physician decision-making, by providing additional information that can inform clinical decisions to improve patient care and safety.  When we first introduced Rx Guardian CD, we pledged to continually refine and enhance our dynamic database supporting it – and this new offering demonstrates our commitment to doing just that."

Total prescriptions for oxymorphone increased from 268,000 in 2007 to more than one million in 2010, according to IMS Health^™.

Manufacturers of oxymorphone and other powerful prescription pain medicines have taken steps to develop abuse-resistant formulations, including a new formulation of Opana that is designed to be crush-resistant. However, the risk of overdose remains, as those who misuse and abuse these drugs continue to adapt in order to satisfy their dangerous addiction. Since the old and new formulations of Opana are "bio-equivalent," Ameritox Rx Guardian with Rx Guardian CD provides monitoring results for both versions.

"Our objective is to assist physicians in identifying potential misuse, abuse, or diversion of opioid pain medications like oxymorphone – so that patients have continued access to needed drugs. We believe Rx Guardian CD helps fulfill that need," said Leider.

Rx Guardian^SM with Rx Guardian CD^SM is also available for other potent pain medicines prone to misuse, abuse and diversion, including methadone, morphine, hydrocodone and oxycodone.

About Ameritox

Ameritox is the nation's leader in Pain Medication Monitoring Solutions®, offering specialized laboratory testing and reporting services. Ameritox's expertise and innovative science provide physicians with insights and support to enhance and optimize the care of chronic pain patients. Ameritox offers the most thorough pain medication monitoring lab process – Rx Guardian^SM – with Rx Guardian CD^SM, the only pain medication monitoring process with a proprietary normalization algorithm and a reference database of pain patients clinically assessed for adherence. Patient results are compared against this database, helping physicians assess whether patients are taking their pain medications correctly. Monitoring through prescription drug testing helps physicians make more informed clinical decisions and manage the risks and complexities associated with prescribing pain medications. Ameritox is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. with laboratory facilities in Midland, Texas and Greensboro, N.C.Ameritox can be found online at www.ameritox.com, on Twitter @Ameritox, on Facebook at facebook.com/ameritox, and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/ameritox.

© 2012 Ameritox Ltd. All rights reserved. Ameritox, Ameritox-Medication Monitoring Solutions, Rx Guardian, Rx Guardian INSIGHT and Rx Guardian CD are trademarks of Ameritox. Other trademarks are the property of their owners.

SOURCE Ameritox