...Prescription drug abuse is becoming more problematic in today’s society. So problematic, that Healthy People 2020 created an initiative, SA-19, to help decrease non-medical prescription drug abuse (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “n.d.”). To better help understand the problem of prescription drug abuse, one must explore related concepts. This paper will analyze the related concept of dependence. Prescription drug abuse may lead to dependence. Dependence can be applied to other disciplines. Understanding dependence better to help decrease this incidence may in turn decrease prescription drug abuse. Concept analysis is meant to help define the concept so that everyone shares a common language (Walker & Avant, 2005). According...
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...The Truth Uncovered Substance Abuse within our communities pose a severe threat to society. The United States is consumed with dissatisfied people who are unable to cope with the struggles in their life, so they coat their problems with powder . They consider drugs to be a victimless crime, and argue that it should be their choice in what they do with their body, and life. As true as this may be, sometimes people need to be protected from themselves, and their irrational, uneducated decisions. People often become victims to their own crimes, and in the end they pay the ultimate price. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, and roughly 6.3 million report they...
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...| The Addiction of America | The Abuse of Prescription Drugs in the United States | Sean Barnes | Western Governors University | 12/19/2014 | The abuse of prescription drugs in the United States has reached epidemic proportions and continues to get worse. Most people, however, do not realize how big the problem really is. It continues to get worse every year and it demands our attention. In 2011, just three short years ago, an estimated 52 million people in the United States over the age of 12 had used prescription drugs for a non-medical reason (National survey on drug use, 2011). The most commonly abused prescription drugs are pain relievers. Why are people abusing these drugs and where do they get them? This paper will attempt to answer those questions as well as pose a possible solution on how it can be corrected. Analyzing the Problem To begin, we must first take a look at why so many American citizens are abusing prescription drugs. Most will probably tell us that they became addicted to pain relievers after some sort of horrible accident or surgery. They were prescribed these medications by their Primary Care Provider and told to take them in the correct manner, which are usually one or two tablets/pills every four to six hours apart, as needed for pain. What they were probably not told by their Primary Care Provider is that they should not take them sooner than directed, nor should they take them whenever they are not experiencing pain. The directions on...
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...going to talk about in this case report is the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) in the United States. A brief history about the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, through 1989, nine Prescription Drug Monitoring Program has been established. Two were located in state Attorneys General offices (California 1939 and Pennsylvania, 1972); two departments of Public Safety (Hawaii, 1943 and Texas, 1981) one in Department of Substance Abuse Services (Illinois, 1961); one in a Board of Pharmacy; and one in a Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Health Professions (Michigan, 1988). How PDMPs are organized and operated varies among states. Each state determines which agency houses the PDMP; which controlled substances must be reported; which types of dispensers are required to submit data (e.g., pharmacies); how often data are collected; who may access information in the PDMP database (e.g., prescribers, dispensers, or law enforcement); the circumstances under which the information may (or must) be accessed; and what enforcement mechanisms are in place for noncompliance. A lot of people die from overdose of drugs in the United States and from drug abuse, not only that but there a lot of non-medical drug use in the United States as well. According to the Congressional Research Service Seven million individuals aged 12 or older (2.7% of this population) were current nonmedical users of Prescription or psychotherapeutic drugs in 2010 over 1 million emergency department...
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...ER ICA’ S PR E S CR I P T ION DRUG A BUSE CR I SI S 2 011 Background Prescription drug abuse is the Nation’s fastest-growing drug problem. While there has been a marked decrease in the use of some illegal drugs like cocaine, data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) show that nearly one-third of people aged 12 and over who used drugs for the first time in 2009 began by using a prescription drug non-medically.1 The same survey found that over 70 percent of people who abused prescription pain relievers got them from friends or relatives, while approximately 5 percent got them from a drug dealer or from the Internet.2 Additionally, the latest Monitoring the Future study—the Nation’s largest survey of drug use among young people—showed that prescription drugs are the second most-abused category of drugs after marijuana.3 In our military, illicit drug use increased from 5 percent to 12 percent among active duty service members over a three-year period from 2005 to 2008, primarily attributed to prescription drug abuse.4 Although a number of classes of prescription drugs are currently being abused, this action plan primarily focuses on the growing and often deadly problem of prescription opioid abuse. The number of prescrip tions filled for opioid pain relievers—some of the most powerful medications available—has increased dramatically in recent years. From 1997 to 2007, the milligram per person use of prescription opioids in the U.S. increased from...
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...qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwer...
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...the Workplace Substance abuse in the workplace is an issue with far-reaching effects across America that can drive up employer costs, and increase occupational hazards in many industries. While results of recent studies appear to be showing a decline in the overall drug use of American workers, the use of harder drugs such as heroin and prescription painkillers in the workplace is growing rapidly (Fisher, 2011). As employees everywhere are faced with this dilemma, many are looking at ways to address, prevent, and reduce its impact on operations and employee productivity. Positivity Results of Workplace Drug Tests It has been shown that over the last 25 years, drug use among American workers has steadily declined. The Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index analysis examined over 125 million urine drug tests as a service for government and private employers from 1988 to 2012. This examined the positivity rates for employers across the United States workforce in both the public and private sector. Since 1988, the positivity rate for the combined U.S. Workforce declined 74% from 13.6% in 1988 to 3.5% in 2012. This result is encouraging for employers; however, the study also revealed some findings that are cause for concern. The positivity rates for amphetamines and methamphetamines have more than tripled over the last decade. As of 2012, this was at its highest level since 1997. Also concerning is that the positivity rates for prescription opiates have increased over...
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...As one prescription drug abuser in his early 20’s explained: Once people (pill brokers) know you take them prescription opioids, they’ll start calling you. “Oh, it’s this time of the month.” Then they wait for that person to get their script. They know exactly in their head what day the script’s getting ready to come so they got the patterns down. Pill brokers and dealers reported congregating in open air drug markets typically strip mall and pharmacy parking lots, and outside methadone clinics to buy, sell, and trade prescription drugs. These markets were reported to involve a variety of transactions, including the purchase of prescription drugs for cash, as well as trades for crack and heroin. Pill brokers also reported the purchase of used fentanyl patches from nurses who have stolen them from pain patients or from disposal containers in hospitals. Some individuals frequenting the drug markets also barter their oxycodone for other opioids or benzodiazepines, typically alprazolam. Doctor Shopping focus group participants indicated that even in a small state like Delaware, doctor shopping appeared to be fairly easy. The vast majority of abusers reported obtaining medications through doctor shopping, and most reported frequenting at least four physicians in order to obtain sufficient amounts of their desired medications. Occasionally clinics and hospital emergency rooms were reported as locations for doctor shopping as well. A heavy user stated: Another focus group member...
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...Drug Addiction Leah Richards PSY326: Research Methods Maleka Hillsman August 27, 2012 The topic that caught my attention when I was reading my choices was “Drug Addiction”. Drug addiction is something that should not be taken lightly by anyone who has a family member or friend with this issue. We often wonder how and what make people turn into being a drug addict. “Drug addiction is rooted in long-term adaptations within the brain that promotes escalating drug use, difficulty quitting, and relapse—all despite the awareness of negative consequences.” With that being said I have always wondered what keep a person going back to their addiction and why can’t they quit. When I read the article and it mention how drug addiction is rooted a light bulb clicked in my head. When something is rooted inside of you whether it is for good or bad it is hard to break. “It was previously hypothesized that addiction was caused in part of an imbalance between an impulsive system that governs appetitive motivation and is driven by immediate rewards on the one hand and a reflective system that regulate and control impulsive according to future pleasurable or aversive consequences.” With this study they were able to predict the hypothesis and see what causes addiction to happen in some cases. I think that the method used in order to see how people become an addict was efficient and it was very precise that made the validity of the experiment a success. It is important to...
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...problem of alcohol abuse 3 Analyze how prescription drugs affect the demand and supply of other products 3 Formulate a reason why the elasticity of demand is an important consideration 4 Provide two (2) examples of increasing-cost industries in your state and propose 4 Suggest how, under certain conditions, a perfectly competitive market 5 Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment 6 References. 7 1. Suggest how an economist would approach the problem of alcohol abuse. Provide two (2) possible solutions to this problem. Include the four (4) elements of the economic way of thinking in your analysis. During the twenty-five years experience of the Navy, they taught only two solutions to an individual’s alcohol abuse problem, education, and treatment. Alcohol abuse can be cure, and there are treatment facilities to help get their life back on track. The four element of the economic way of thinking would be Market forces, rational behavior, Opportunity Cost, Cost Benefit Analysis. According to Pettinger (2008), “The aim is to find patterns and use this to predict likely outcomes. In the real world, it is often difficult to model behavior because there are so many different variables”. (Para. 3) That is the therapy. 2. Analyze how prescription drugs affect the demand and supply of other products and services in this country. With these types of illness and injuries in the world today, there is a major demand for prescription drug. In most cases...
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...The Reforming of Health Care as it Pertains to Prescription Drugs in the United States HCS/440 08/05/2013 Professor Michele Burka, MBA The Reforming of Health Care as it Pertains to Prescription Drugs in the United States The Problem America stands on the precipice of a new health epidemic; prescription drugs are the new face of concern for the average American citizen.; cost, shortages, and abuse can often be found on any given day in print, online, or more commonly, social networking sites. As technology continues to advance, so too does the ability to procure medications for 90% of what the body needs to maintain optimal health. In addition to this, agenda pushing doctors, contractual obligations to pharmaceutical manufacturers, and drug reps have created a health care atmosphere where it is almost impossible to walk into a physician’s office for an annual health screening without leaving with a handful of questionable ‘needed’ prescriptions. Doctors are prescribing more medications than ever before seen. This is in fact creating more prescription related abuse. With this new availability comes the responsibility of ensuring those receiving are adequately informed of consequences, and potential addiction issues. All too often, a consumer seeks advice from a healthcare provider and does not self-educate on the medication received. Yes, medical staff, especially the prescribing individual has a personal and professional responsibility to the consumer to inform...
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...Combating the Modern Day Drug Problem Deleasa Bell CRJ.362.01.2138 Drugs & Drug Abuse Arthur Acosta May 26, 2015 Is there a drug problem in our society? You bet there is. Are we winning the so call “War on Drugs”? No we are not winning the so called “War on Drugs”. Should something be done to combat the drug problem that exists in our society? You bet something should definitely be done. In addition to outlining the drug problem in society, this proposal will contrast supply side and demand side as it is related to our society’s drug problem and how we can win the “War on Drugs. The illegal use of drugs and the nonmedical use of prescription medications are increasing, and this is largely driven by an increased rate of marijuana use, a survey shows. The survey on drug use was released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which included about 67,500 people in the U.S. aged 12 and up?Continue reading below... * More young adults aged 18 to 25 are using illicit drugs, up from 19.6% in 2008 to 21.5% in 2010. * Rates of nonmedical use of prescription drugs, hallucinogens, and inhalants are around the same as in 2009. There were some signs of hope in this survey: * The number of current methamphetamine users decreased by roughly half from 2006 to 2010. * Cocaine use also declined, from...
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...Principles of Economics Sharonda Thorpe, RN, BSN Professor Sarah Uhimchuk Principles of Economics-ECO 100 January 29, 2012 Suggest how an economist would approach the problem of alcohol abuse. Provide two (2) possible solutions to this problem. Include the four (4) elements of the economic way of thinking in your analysis. To suggest how an economist would approach the problem of alcohol abuse, one needs to understand the elements of the economic way of thinking. Four elements are: principle of opportunity cost, which means what you sacrifice to get something. Marginal principle is another element, which includes marginal benefits that result from a small increase in activity and marginal cost, which is the additional cost resulting from a small increase in activity. The principle of voluntary exchange is another element of the economic way of thinking, which is based on the notion that people act in their own self-interest. People won’t exchange one thing for another unless the trade off makes them better off. A forth element would be the principle of diminishing returns which means at a certain point (called the point of diminishing returns), additional input to a system of production will produce less and less output. O”Sullivan (2012). In other words, Scarcity: where economists study situations where needs or wants exceed means. Therefore, people have to make choices. Rationality is assumed to guide people's choices...
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...Suggest how an economist would approach the problem of alcohol abuse. Provide two (2) possible solutions to this problem. Include the four (4) elements of the economic way of thinking in your analysis. The economist would approach the problem of alcohol abuse as cost, and how they could put it in real numbers. When measuring the cost of alcohol abuse in any city in the U.S. we must understand what make the assumptions of alcohol abuse comprehensible and to focus on the relevant alcohol abuse. We have to think about such things as health services and medical expenses, premature death, loss of productivity, and alcohol related crimes. In total, the U.S. economy loses an estimated $185 billion each year to alcohol-related problems, according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. We use the assumptions to help explain, Economics is a discipline, but it is not an exact discipline. Economic theory simplifies situations because it would be nearly impossible to predict and include every relevant variable and factor. Just look at the cost of drunk driving. Drunk driving is a insightful subject to many people because so many lives have been affected by this crime. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes kill someone every 31 minutes and nonfatal injure someone every two minutes. During 2005, 16,885 people in the U.S. died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes, comprising 39% of all traffic-related deaths...
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...exerting so much influence in the arena where the drug laws are drawn up, discussed, and passed, the pharmaceutical industry, also known as BIG Pharma due to their scope, size, and influence, has negatively affected the consumer in its market, namely the medical patient. The drug industry has done this through lobbying in Washington to keep laws relating to the pharmaceutical market favorable for the drug companies themselves. This brief examines three possible solutions to this problem: lobbying spending and lobbyist limits for pharmaceutical companies, a ban on direct advertisements by pharmaceutical companies, and more transparency and screening before prescribing prescription pain killers. In this analysis, the first alternative represents the best solution to this problem as it has the highest overall potential for benefit and less total cost than the other two possible solutions. Introduction/Background This policy brief examines the pharmaceutical industry and how it has come to gain too much power not only with regards to market power in its industry but also with regards to their influence in Washington. By having this much power, drug companies have negatively affected medical consumers/patients through continued increased prices and a steady decline in innovation. Steps need to be taken to eradicate this problem by reducing the scope of influence of large pharmaceutical companies in Washington and in the drug market. Identification of Policy Problem ...
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