WISH: Definitions - Opioid Module

Definitions provided by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health, Injury Prevention Program and the Health Analytics Section of the Office of Health Informatics. The definitions of the terms come from a medical dictionary (Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers © 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved) and the guidance for providing required indicators comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which funded this module through the Prevention for States Supplemental Funding grant. For more information about the grant, visit the CDC Opioid Overdose State Information page.

Benzodiazepines

Group of drugs having a common molecular structure and similar pharmacological activities, including antianxiety, muscle relaxing, and sedative and hypnotic effects.

Cocaine

Highly addictive central nervous system stimulant extracted from the leaves of the coca plant Erythroxylon coca.

Drug overdose

Clinical manifestation of a poisoning by drugs or medicine taken in an amount that is higher than normally used or prescribed independently of the intent.

Heroin

An alkaloid prepared from morphine by acetylation and is rapidly metabolized to morphine in the body.

Opiates

Narcotic drugs containing opium or an opium derivative or having opium-like properties, used to relieve severe pain.

Opioids

Various compounds that bind to specific receptors in the central nervous system and have analgesic and narcotic effects, including naturally occurring substances such as morphine; synthetic and semisynthetic drugs such as methadone and oxycodone; and certain peptides produced by the body, such as endorphins.

Opium

The air-dried milky exudation obtained by incising the unripe capsules of Papaver somniferum (Poppy).

Prescription opioids

A drug that can be dispensed to the public only with an order given by a properly authorized person as designated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Psychostimulants

Substances that stimulate activity such as CNS stimulant, cardiovascular stimulant, and others like amphetamine, methamphetamine, or cocaine.

Synthetic opioids

Any synthetic narcotic that has opiate-like activities but is not derived from opium.