Prescription drug addiction and abuse is a very real and important issue. It is imperative that nurses and consumers educate themselves on this subject.
First consumers need to be informed because many have the false belief that since prescription drugs are legal, they are less dangerous than illegal drugs. According to Tom Hedrick, Director and Founding Member, PDFA in the Iowa Prescription and Over the Counter Drug Abuse Roundtable, "aggressive marketing builds consumer awareness of product availability and benefits, but not the negative consequences of misuse or abuse; and that messages about “appropriate” use do not educate people about the negative consequences.” The ultimate negative consequence you might be surprised to learn…DEATH!
Consumers need to be aware that these drugs can also be both psychologically and physically addictive. Once addicted many people build up a tolerance which requires a larger dose to achieve the same effects. People need to understand that they need to inform their doctor or nurse if this occurs.
Parents need to educate themselves on how easy it is for their children to acquire these drugs. The Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA), in cooperation with Beau Dietl & Associates (BDA), conducted a study on prescription drug abuse in Americas. According to BDA, “only six percent of the sites selling drugs required a prescription to either be mailed (two percent) or faxed (four percent); there were no mechanisms in place to block children from purchasing these drugs.” Even if you aren’t a parent this should scare or alarm you.
Not only do consumers need to be educated on the ease of access but also on the dosage amounts. Elderly people typically misunderstand the dosages. Therefore we must also look out for our parents or grandparents to ensure they understand and are following the correct instructions from their doctor. By educating themselves consumers should be able to identify the risk factors and alert the abuser or consult a health professional for assistance.
As a nurse you also need to be educated about this issue because you may encounter an individual that is suffering from addiction or abuse. You need to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms and to inform the doctor of your concerns. However according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University many physicians find discussing the topic difficult. As a nurse you may be the only other person who can intervene and discuss it with the patient.
You must also learn the negative consequences of prescription drug addiction and abuse and be informed enough to help prevent it by educating your patients before there is a problem. You also need to know that it can be extremely easy for people to acquire prescription medications. If you are treating a person that is abusing prescriptions you need to know. The patient may obviously be reluctant to tell you. It goes without saying that you will need to be aware if the patient has any complications from drug interactions.
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/501_drug.html
http://www.state.ia.us/government/odcp/docs/Prescription_Drug_Abuse_Roundtable.pdf
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ReplyDeleteIn these tough economic times, when so many are losing both their homes and their jobs, self-medicating with booze or pills helps take the edge off. One huge issue I've come across is how judgemental people are towards one another, like there's a "defect" within one's own self which caused one to "fail", which can push someone over the limit. My brother-in-law killed himself over this and to this. Who are we to judge another...
ReplyDeleteWow these statistics sound staggering. This is pretty eye opening. This should shake our very society to its very core.
ReplyDeleteThat previous post about judging people is ludicrous. This is clearly an important issue. It isn't about judging it is about safety and education.
ReplyDeleteI had a friend who's mother was a pharmacist. She began stealing and became addicted to a prescription drug that she sold! It was an antidepressant and almost destroyed her life, professionally and personally. There has got to be a way where confidentiality can go hand in hand with control. But in this case where the control is the abuser, how is that corrected?!
ReplyDeleteWow, I have never heard even a pharmacist could get addicted. One could expect that they would know everything about them but you never really know what drugs can do to you. Increadible things can happen if you dont take control.
ReplyDeletecool site didn't know about this
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent site. Very professional and informative. Great topic and excellent sources. Great job!
ReplyDeleteOnce someone has "experimented" with drugs the return path to a drug free life is all but lost. Early education about the damage that drugs do to your body is important.
ReplyDeleteI think that a good pharmacist that monitors your prescriptions will be able to spot pending addicted to prescribed drugs that are taken in the wrong combinations. Especially if the patient is being seen by more than one Doctor and each prescribes a multitude of drugs in which some can cause addiction.
ReplyDeleteExcellent job. Very informative. Thank you for sharing the information.
ReplyDeletegreat job. Good info and well organized.
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