Which are the most lethal drugs in Australia?
A new toxicity index may help GPs decide which drugs are safer to prescribe
The antipsychotic clozapine is nudging oxycodone, fentanyl and morphine when it comes to lethal toxicity, an Australian study suggests.
Researchers have established a fatal toxicity index (FTI) for almost 100 drugs based on deaths in the Greater Newcastle Hunter region of NSW, drawing on 16 years of data from coronial inquests, the PBS and the local toxicology service.
The FTI ranks the number of deaths per year of a daily dose of the drugs, giving prescribers an idea of relative risk.
Methadone had the highest score at 147, followed by morphine (85), fentanyl (63), oxycodone (61) and clozapine (50).
