An Overview of Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse: Defining the Problem and Seeking Solutions

1994 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie B. Wilford ◽  
James Finch ◽  
Dorynne J. Czechowicz ◽  
David Warren
Keyword(s):  
Prescription Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Policy Issue ◽  
The United States ◽  
Drug Misuse ◽  
Prescription Drug Misuse ◽  
Therapeutic Benefits ◽  
Psychoactive Effects ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Access To Medical Care

Each year, millions of individuals in the United States are treated for a variety of serious medical conditions with prescription drugs whose therapeutic benefits are well known. The vast majority of these medications are used to treat medical and psychiatric illnesses. Generally, they are used as prescribed, and contribute to a better quality of life for persons suffering from debilitating or life-threatening disorders.The fact that a small portion of these medications is diverted by those who seek their psychoactive effects raises the important policy issue: how to make drugs easily available for medical use while limiting access for purposes of abuse.Such a responsibility poses challenges very different from those of the so-called “war” on illicit drugs, because this control must be achieved without impeding patients’ access to medical care. A rational public policy would attempt to achieve a balance between the need to minimize abuse and the need to provide relief.

scholarly journals Understanding Nonprescription and Prescription Drug Misuse in Late Adolescence/Young Adulthood

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sasha A. Fleary ◽  
Robert W. Heffer ◽  
E. Lisako J. McKyer
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Prescription Drug ◽  
Prescription Drugs ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Drug Misuse ◽  
Prescription Drug Misuse ◽  
Ease Of Access ◽  
Societal Stigma

This study explored the extent to which nonprescription and prescription drugs misuse among adolescents/young adults are related to their perception that it is safer than illicit drugs, ease of access, and lower societal stigma. Adolescents/young adults (; , ) completed an online survey about their nonprescription and prescription drug misuse, other substance use, and correlates of use. Perceived risk, societal stigma, and access to nonprescription and prescription drugs were predictive of misuse. Results support program planners working towards targeting perceived risk and societal stigma in reducing misuse and the need to restrict and monitor access to nonprescription and prescription drugs for adolescents/young adults.

scholarly journals Prescription drug misuse: quantifying the experiences of New Zealand GPs

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janie Sheridan ◽  
Sophie Jones ◽  
Trudi Aspden
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Prescription Drug ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Prescription Drugs ◽  
Postal Survey ◽  
Drug Misuse ◽  
Prescription Drug Misuse ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychoactive Effects ◽  
Alternative Drug

INTRODUCTION: The misuse of prescription drugs for their psychoactive effects is an international problem. To date, there is a paucity of quantitative data on prescription drug misuse (PDM) in New Zealand, especially data investigating the experiences of general practitioners (GPs). AIM: To quantify GPs’ experiences regarding PDM in New Zealand in terms of the extent of the problem, challenges faced, problem drugs, and actions taken by GPs once PDM is suspected. METHOD: A cross-sectional postal survey of a random sample of 300 GPs in New Zealand was undertaken. RESULTS: A 45.7% response rate was achieved. Approximately two-thirds of GPs (65.9%) had diagnosed at least one patient with a PDM problem in the last 12 months. Thirty percent of respondents indicated that they had been faced with at least one challenge in the past 12 months, with ‘verbal threats’ being the most common of these (16.3%). Benzodiazepines and opioids were identified as the most problematic drug classes. The action usually taken by the greatest number of GPs once they suspected PDM was to ‘document it’ (97.9%) followed closely by ‘suggest an alternative drug’ (96.7%) and ‘refrain from prescribing the drug’ (91.9%). DISCUSSION: PDM is an issue for GPs. The findings from this study have highlighted the need for further research into this concerning issue, specifically further quantification of the size of the problem in the New Zealand general population. There is also a need for the development and implementation of interventions to help minimise and better manage PDM in New Zealand. KEYWORDS: Prescription drugs; pharmaceutical; drug abuse; drug misuse; general practitioners; New Zealand; questionnaires; quantitative

scholarly journals MisuMedPT - Morbi-mortality consequences of misuse of psychoactive prescription drugs in Portugal

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Araújo ◽  
C Bulhosa ◽  
J Goulão ◽  
A P Martins
Keyword(s):  
Prescription Drug ◽  
Prescription Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Opioid Analgesics ◽  
Drug Misuse ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Poison Control ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Prescription Drug Misuse ◽  
Drug Poisoning

Abstract Background In Portugal, there are no published data on the health-related consequences of prescription drug misuse, which is therefore a public health issue of unknown dimension in our country. Poison control centres and other pharmacoepidemiological sources can be part of a surveillance system for monitoring medicine's use and misuse. Methods Retrospective observational study of intentional exposures to opioid analgesics, antiepileptics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, hypnotics and sedatives reported to the Portuguese Poison Information Centre (CIAV) between 2014 and 2018. Variables studied were demographic characteristics of individuals, geographic distribution of calls, co-exposure to alcohol or illicit drugs, call origin, case evaluation and guidance. Results CIAV received 24624 calls reporting 34203 intentional exposures to any medicine, 31169 (91.1%) of which involving one of the studied psychoactive medicines and 20906 exposures having emergency room advice or effective hospitalisation. The most frequently involved medicines were benzodiazepines (62.0%) - alprazolam (15.4%) and diazepam (12.0%) - with trazodone ranking fifth (6.0%). Combination with non-medicinal products was seen in 2169 calls (9.4%), 2052 (94.6%) of which with alcohol. Conclusions There is female predominance in the poisonings reported involving any of the medicines studied. Benzodiazepines and antidepressants are the top classes reported. The rate of intentional exposures to psychoactive medicines is higher in Coimbra district, whose significant university student population requires further analysis of data. To adjust for the variability in the level of medicines' use in the population, work is undergoing to include rates of intentional poisonings in patients prescribed the studied medicines. To better characterise the potential consequences of misuse of psychoactive prescription drugs in Portugal, additional data on deaths involving these medicines will also be included in the project. Key messages First published Portuguese data on prescription drug poisoning reported to CIAV. First Portuguese project to analyse prescription drug poisoning, forensic and hospitalisation data.

scholarly journals Prescription Drugs and the US Workforce: Results from a National Safety Council Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 1;23 (1;1) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alaa Abd-Elsayed
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Prescription Drug ◽  
Prescription Drugs ◽  
Workplace Violence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Drug Misuse ◽  
Prescription Drug Abuse ◽  
Prescription Drug Misuse ◽  
National Safety Council

Background: The cost of chronic pain in the United States is extremely high. Opioids are one of the most common medications prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain, and their misuse and addiction have been of concern. It has been found that opioids are frequently abused and negatively impact the American workforce. Objectives: The objective of this study was to obtain data on US employers’ concerns and priorities, perceptions of prescription drug abuse, perceived impact of prescription drug use on the workplace, identification of and response to drug abuse, perceived ability to handle prescription drug abuse in the workplace, and workplace initiatives, employee assistance programs, employee drug testing, workplace prescription drug training, insurance coverage of alternative treatment, and overall preparedness to deal with the issue. Study Design: This research used an employer proprietary questionnaire created by members of the National Safety Council in cooperation with market research experts at B2B International. Setting: Employers surveyed via an online survey represent diverse industries and geographical areas. Methods: The research was conducted using a proprietary questionnaire. Participants were recruited from a sample of verified panelists through Research Now, and fieldwork was conducted online by B2B International. This report is on 501 interviews that each represent a US employer with 50 or more employees. The employers sampled are extremely diverse in not only size and industry, but also geography and centralization. Results: Our results showed that 67% of employers reported concerns related to prescription drug misuse, which was comparable to workplace violence and more concerning than the use of illegal drugs. Sixty-one percent reported concerns related to prescription opioids, which was a higher concern than using anti-anxiety medications, stimulants, and even heroin. Limitations: Survey study with descriptive analysis with limited sample. Conclusions: Prescription drug misuse and abuse concern American employers. Their side effects are clear, but employers are less likely to acknowledge their detrimental business effect. Employers report being unprepared for dealing with issues related to this; however, the firms with programs in place feel more prepared to deal with misuse and abuse. Key words: Prescription drugs, US workforce, chronic pain

scholarly journals Misuse of prescription and illicit drugs among high-risk young adults in Los Angeles and New York

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen E. Lankenau ◽  
Sheree M. Schrager ◽  
Karol Silva ◽  
Alex Kecojevic ◽  
Jennifer Jackson Bloom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Prescription Drug ◽  
Prescription Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Drug Misuse ◽  
Prescription Drug Misuse ◽  
Local Markets

<em>Background</em>. Prescription drug misuse among young adults is increasingly viewed as a public health concern, yet most research has focused on student populations and excluded high-risk groups. Furthermore, research on populations who report recent prescription drug misuse is limited. This study examined patterns of prescription drug misuse among high-risk young adults in Los Angeles (LA) and New York (NY), which represent different local markets for illicit and prescription drugs. <em>Design and Methods.</em> Between 2009 and 2011, 596 young adults (16 to 25 years old) who had misused prescription drugs within the past 90 days were interviewed in Los Angeles and New York. Sampling was stratified to enroll three groups of high-risk young adults: injection drug users (IDUs); homeless persons; and polydrug users. <em>Results</em>. In both sites, lifetime history of receiving a prescription for an opioid, tranquilizer, or stimulant was high and commonly preceded misuse. Moreover, initiation of opioids occurred before heroin and initiation of prescription stimulants happened prior to illicit stimulants. NY participants more frequently misused oxycodone, heroin, and cocaine, and LA participants more frequently misused codeine, marijuana, and methamphetamine. Combining prescription and illicit drugs during drug using events was commonly reported in both sites. Opioids and tranquilizers were used as substitutes for other drugs, e.g., heroin, when these drugs were not available. <em>Conclusion</em>. Patterns of drug use among high-risk young adults in Los Angeles and New York appear to be linked to differences in local markets in each city for illicit drugs and diverted prescription drugs.

Longitudinal Associations Between Sexual Victimization and Substance Misuse Among High School Youth in Colorado

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052095962
Author(s):  
Sasha Mintz ◽  
Katherine M. Ingram ◽  
Anne Milliken ◽  
Tomei Kuehl ◽  
Dorothy L. Espelage
Keyword(s):  
Prescription Drugs ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Substance Misuse ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
The United States ◽  
Drug Misuse ◽  
Prescription Drug Misuse ◽  
Help Seeking Attitudes ◽  
Positive Attitudes

There are consistently high rates of sexual victimization and substance misuse among youth in the United States. Although there is a known relation between sexual victimization and substance use, there is a gap in the research regarding the magnitude and temporality of these associations. This study examined whether latent classes of sexual victimization and help-seeking attitudes longitudinally predict intentions of future substance misuse 7–10 months later. Students from nine Colorado high schools ( N = 533; M = age 16 years) completed surveys across two consecutive school semesters. Latent class analysis was used to identify classes of students who experienced at least one form of sexual victimization (e.g., sexual harassment, unwanted sexual contact) according to 13 sexual victimization items, and level of positive attitudes regarding help-seeking for sexual victimization. Classes were compared on demographic characteristics and for distal outcomes of likelihood of future substance misuse (cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis, prescription drugs, and electronic vaping products) using latent class regression, controlling for previous intentions to use. At Time 1, four classes of sexual victimization were identified with two main classes for comparison: low odds of experiencing sexual victimization (60.1% of sample) and high odds of endorsing all forms of sexual victimization (7.7% of sample). The high sexual victimization class had higher proportions of male and transgender students, compared to other classes. At Time 2 (7–10 months later), students in the high sexual victimization class reported a significantly greater likelihood of future cigarette ( p = .017) and prescription drug misuse ( p = .007) when compared to the low sexual victimization class. There was no evidence that having higher positive attitudes towards help-seeking resulted in lower intentions to use substances in the future. These findings highlight that addressing sexual violence in prevention programming may have crossover effects of reducing substance misuse and other forms of violence among youth.

Integrating Theories of Gender and Sexuality With Deviance: The Case of Prescription Drug Misuse during Sex

2021 ◽  
pp. 089124322110098
Author(s):  
Laura C. Frizzell ◽  
Mike Vuolo ◽  
Brian C. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Prescription Drug ◽  
Prescription Drugs ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Sexual Minorities ◽  
Deviant Behavior ◽  
Gender And Sexuality ◽  
Drug Misuse ◽  
Identity Conflict ◽  
Prescription Drug Misuse ◽  
Sexual Identities

Social scientists have expended substantial effort to identify group patterns of deviant behavior. Yet beyond the ill-conceived treatment of sexual minorities as inherently deviant, they have rarely considered how gendered sexual identities (GSIs) shape participation in deviance. We argue for the utility of centering theories of gender and sexuality in intersectional deviance research. We demonstrate how this intentional focus on gender and sexuality provides important empirical insights while avoiding past pitfalls of stigmatizing sexual minorities. Drawing on theories of hegemonic masculinity, emphasized femininity, and minority stress together with criminological general strain theory, we demonstrate how societal expectations and constraints generate strains among GSI groups that may lead to distinctly patterned deviance, using the case of prescription drug misuse during sex. We employ thematic analysis of 120 in-depth interviews with people who misuse prescription drugs, stratified by GSI. We identify six themes highlighting distinct pathways from strain to misuse during sex for different GSI groups: intimacy management, achieving sexual freedom, regulating sexual mood, performance confidence, increased sense of control, and managing sexual identity conflict. In this article, we demonstrate the empirical and theoretical importance of centering gender and sexuality in deviance research and provide a roadmap for theoretical integration.

scholarly journals Combinations of prescription drug misuse and illicit drugs among young adults

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 941-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian C. Kelly ◽  
Brooke E. Wells ◽  
Mark Pawson ◽  
Amy LeClair ◽  
Jeffrey T. Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Prescription Drug ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Drug Misuse ◽  
Prescription Drug Misuse
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