A new study says residents of B.C.'s smaller towns are at a greater risk of addiction and misuse of prescription drugs, including sedatives and so-called "hillbilly heroin."
The study by researchers at UBC says British Columbians found "troubling patterns" in the use of potentially addictive prescription drugs, such as sedatives and opioid pain killers such as morphine and oxycodone.
Oxycodone has been dubbed "hillbilly heroin" because of reported misuse across the country, largely in smaller communities with less access to street drugs.
The B.C. Prescription Atlas, which examined 2006 data from 79 health areas across the province, says access to potentially life-saving drugs, such as blood pressure medication, did not vary greatly from region to region.
It says residents are receiving the life-saving medications they need regardless of where they live or how much they make.
But the researchers did find that access to "discretionary" drugs like anti-depressants did appear to be linked to income.
