Where do US hospitals get their opiates?

Question

Our morphine, heroin. Are the raw materials purchased from outside the US, or do we make our own (synthetic)?

You're all so great for enlightening me :-) Such wonderful contributions.

Answer 1

Morphine and other opium derivatives are still important in the economy of opiates. The price of morphine has often been reflected by the illegal opium market in Afganistan. Opium poppies are not grown in the USA for the legal US opiate market.

Many opiate type drugs are manufactured from petroleum products, but most opiates in the USA are manufactured from opium which is fundamentally morphine.

Morphine can be changed into oxycodone, hydromorphone, codeine and other derivatives.

Meperidine (Demerol), Fentanyl, and methadone are synthetic.

Heroin is available in the USA for Schedule I research purposes. It is derived from morphine.

Answer 2

First of all, heroin isn't legal in hosptials - it's a Schedule I drug.

The rest of the opiates are purchased from pharmaceutical companies. In order to get Schedule II narcs, you have to fill out a special form obtained from the DEA, and even the FORMS are controlled!

Most opiates are dirt cheap. Morphine, fentanyl and hydromorphone (the three I use most often - on patients) cost pennies.

Don't know where they get the raw materials, though.

Answer 3

Well, heroin is illegal and usually not dispensed at a hospital, you may be thinking of methadone. Morphine and other class "C" drugs are obtained through pharmaceutical companies or distributors, which have DEA licenses to sell such items.

Answer 4

i think outside of usa.simple