...Interstate Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs - A Priority Issue for Partnership for a Drug Free America Abstract One ongoing priority of the Partnership for a drug free America (PDFA) is supporting Prescription drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP). With adolescent prescription drug abuse on the rise PDFA started a 5- year campaign called the Medicine abuse project to prevent teen prescription drug abuse. A vital tool taking precedence in this project is ensuring that Interstate prescription drug monitoring programs are implemented, utilized, and funded in all 50 states. PDFA points to research from the CDC showing the rise of prescription drug abuse amongst teens ,and their recommendation for using prescription drug monitoring programs to gain control over this epidemic. In supporting PDMPs, The Partnership for a Drug Free America is rallying with the Congressional caucus on prescription drug abuse and their initiatives to support nationally interconnected PDMPs. Recently, PDFA has received a great deal of backlash, and their motives for supporting interstate PDMPs have come into question. Mainly, because of their financial support from Pharma Pharmaceuticals. However, PDFA address all funding questions responding that Pharma provides funding solely for educational grants. The use of Interstate PDMPs comes into controversy with states like Florida, suggesting that utilizing interstate PDMPs violates...
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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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...Health Care Reform Project: Part I-Prescription Drugs Prescription drug abuse and prescription overprescribing, of all categories, is becoming rampant in the United States. It is also one of the most rapidly growing dilemmas in America influencing people of all ages. Prescription drug use in the past was limited to adults. Over the last decade, more and more children and adolescents are consumers of these drugs. Coping with children who behaved badly in the past has taken a new direction that includes prescribing medications. Medical professions now have the option to prescribe these medications as they see fit. Many physicians are more than willing to write a prescription based on the complaints of a patient rather than finding other treatment options or the root of the problem. Drugs manufactures have had to come up with new and innovative ways to market these drugs to healthcare providers and the public as well. As society changes so will the way drugs are marketed, prescribed and taken. Demand for prescription drugs will continue to increase as well as the overall cost. Consumers today demand more flexibility in acquiring prescription medications rather than using the traditional drug stores. Patients are swamped by pharmaceutical ads and physicians are repeatedly proliferated with drug prescribing information from pharmaceuticals representatives. Getzen and Allen (2007) states, “the average American fills 11 prescriptions per year. Pharmaceuticals were a...
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...There is a drug crisis in America, but it is not the only crisis America is facing. I would say that there is a health crisis in America more so than a drug crisis. Even though the number of drug related deaths is quite high, there are still more health related deaths. In 2013, Heart Disease caused more than 600,000 deaths alone (Center for Disease Control, 2013) That being said, I do not think that drugs alone are killing America and that is the most serious issue we face. I still agree that drug use and abuse is a problem in America, and that this issue does need to be dealt with, but it is not our only problem. If America is going to focus on this drug issue, then it must recognize all drugs. Society is constantly placing the blame solely...
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...Prescription Opioids Deanna Pannell Aurora University One of the growing problems in America is the abuse of prescription opioids. In the past 10 years, the misuse of prescribed opioids has gone out of control, making it a national issue that many people are attempting to attack. Prescription opioid use is increasing in public health, creating an epidemic that is growing rapidly. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse: opiates, depressants, and stimulants are the three drug classifications most commonly abused by Americans. A multitude of research on the subject has concluded that there is more than a single solution to the problem, such as taking immediate action as well as creating prevention strategies. I decided to do additional research on this topic since it plays a huge part in my career as well as personal life. Being a substance abuse counselor in the criminal justice field, I experience first-hand the effects of prescription opioid abuse. A large number of client’s participating in the TASC (Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities) are dealing with prescription opioid abuse due to an injury or surgical procedure. On April 25, 2015, my first cousin died from a heroin overdose at the age of 23. After a football injury, he was prescribed Hydrocodone and became addicted. Since the pills are too expensive, he began using heroin and his battle ended 5 years later. In 2009, 16 million Americans age 12 and older reported taking a prescription pain reliever...
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...that the problem of prescription drug addiction is at its worst today than ever before, causing countless cases of dependency and abuse at epidemic proportions, and gaining the reputation of being the "silent epidemic" in some major cities in America. Prescription drug addiction is also known as the "silent killer," and rightfully so, because it can take one innocent pill, or the wrong dosage, to place its user into a permanent sleep-an all-too familiar event known as fatally "overdosing." From suburban neighborhoods, to celebrity life, to the ghettos-prescription drug abuse seems to have no bounds in our society, affecting millions everyday. But how wide-spread is this kind of abuse, and how serious is it? In 2010 alone, it was reported that an estimated 7 million America citizens claimed to be abusing prescription medications. Granted, this is only a little less than 3% of the total US population, but the jolting fact comes from the amount of increasing deaths from prescription medication abuse. It's one thing for large populations to abuse drugs, true; but it's another thing to lose lives rapidly over such a short period of time. As stated earlier, the strength of prescription drugs can be so overwhelming that it may take one instance, or one miscalculating dose, to result in a deadly overdose. In other words,...
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...Public Policy: Prescription Drug Abuse According to the National Center for Health Statistics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 1999 and 2007, there has been a 402% increase in the number of prescription opioid pain relievers consumed by the U.S. public. From 1999 to 2007, the rise in prescription drug overdoses in the U.S. has increased by an astounding 17,000 and the deaths have increased from three deaths per 100,000 population to nine deaths per 100,000 (Chen, Hedegaard, and Warner). There are many experts declaring that there is an epidemic in regards to the amount of prescription drug abuse in America; others believe that the epidemic is a myth. But whether or not there is, the statistics are alarming. In order to...
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...University Over the Counter, Over Prescribed Prescription Drug Abuse Over the Counter, Over Prescribed Prescription Drug Abuse When describing a drug addict, the stereotypical description is usually someone who has no job, steals to get their fix, and is living their life in poverty because of their crippling addiction. The drug of choice for these “junkies” is typically black tar heroin. However in recent years this has not been the case. The age of prescription drugs is beginning and people are dying from prescription drug overdoses at an alarming rate. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), as seen in Figure 1 found in the Appendix, in 2010 there were 8.76 million prescription drug abusers (Drug Facts: Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications). Prescription drug abuse has become an epidemic in America and it is not isolated to the stereotypical addict, as doctors and emergency response teams are seeing more and more overdoses and individuals seeking medical attention who are in the upper middle class and lead a fairly “normal” life besides their addiction. The NIDA found that there are around 5.1 million people in the US suffer from substance abuse disorders related to prescription pain relievers (Figure 1, Appendix). Although pain killer abuse gets a lot of the prescription drug abuse headlines, there are other medications that are being abused namely stimulants. Because over the counter and prescription medicines are so easy to obtain and the stigma...
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...Prescription Drug Abuse: The New Drug of Choice Tanya Butler COM/172 Elements of University Composition and Communication II March 29, 2012 Betty Taylor-Thompson Ph.D. Prescription Drug Abuse: The New Drug of Choice “In 2010, approximately 16 million Americans reported using a prescription drug for nonmedical reasons in the past year; seven million in the past month” (National Drug Intelligence Center, 2002, p. 1). “Nonmedical use of a prescribed medicine is use by someone who does not have a prescription for the medication, or use of the prescribed medicine by someone who does not have a prescription in a manner that is not directed or approved by the prescribing physician” (DuPont, 2006, p. 1). The misuse of prescription medication is an expanding health problem in the United States today. An individual taking her own medication exactly as prescribed is not misuse, but giving one pill to a friend or loved one is prescription abuse. In fact, it is against the law. Most people overlook the fine print at the top (or bottom) of the prescription label that clearly states: “Caution: Federal law prohibits transfer of this drug to any person other than the patient for whom it was prescribed.” Then again, some people are very aware of the fine print but choose to ignore it. Many people believe that because the prescription is written by their doctor, it is safe. This is not the case! Prescription narcotics are just as dangerous as illicit drugs, such as cocaine, heroin...
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...The film I chose to watch and discuss within my paper was, Prescription for Change: Ending America’s Opioid Crisis. This film was a documentary about the Opioid Crisis in America. That being said, the theme of the movie was that, America is facing an opioid epidemic; therefore, America needs to focus on the rehabilitation of substance abusers. The film goes on to make a point that there are not enough treatment options and that the individuals who are seeking treatment, are having difficulties in doing so. The film goes on to discuss further, how America is facing a drug crisis, but it is not the illegal drugs that are the biggest issues, it is the prescription drugs. The film even provides statistics on how big of an issue prescription medications are when it comes to substance abuse....
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...author of The Power of Now and A New Earth, says that addictions begin with pain and ends with pain. So when people become addicted to something they are attempting to soothe pain. Drugs whether, illegal or not are considered painkillers for that very reason. The attempt to escape from pain is what creates more pain. In the past, society viewed drug addiction as a moral flaw. The treatment for this “flaw” during that time would involve imprisonment, asylum visits,...
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... Causal Essay Substance abuse has been thought to be a big city problem. However alcohol abuse and illegal drugs such as marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, have made their way into our small rural communities. Rural America has become a refuge for drug makers, dealers and abusers. Substance abuse such as drugs, alcohol, and prescription drugs are a growing problem in rural communities due to stress, peer pressure and chronic pain. Studies have reported that individuals exposed to stress are more likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs or undergo relapse (National Institute on Drug Abuse, n.d.). It is well established that the effects of stress can damage people’s mental and physical health. Not everyone deals with stress in the same way, where as some people have an inability to deal with it effectively. One of the ways that the individual may attempt to manage their stress is by using alcohol or drugs. This type of self-medication can provide temporary relief, but is ultimately self-defeating. It can mean that the individual will have more stress in their life than ever, but they will have even less of an ability to handle it. Using drugs, as a short-term solution to the stress going on in their life is dangerous and can lead to addiction. Stress can be caused by the loss of job, divorce, death of a loved one or many other numerous situations. Stress is a major factor and is one of the leading causes of drug abuse. Teenagers and young adult face peer...
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...The Rise in Prescription Drug Abuse By: Laurie Mahaffey What is prescription drug abuse and who are the ones affected by it? Is it just young adults that are affected by prescription drug abuse or does this affect all generations? What are some of the prescription drugs that categorize this concern? What are the consequences of prescription drug abuse? What are some solutions to this problem? These questions concerning the rise in prescription drug abuse will be addressed in the following paragraphs. What is prescription drug abuse? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Prescription drug Abuse is defined as the “intentional use” of a medication without a prescription; in a way other than described; or for the experience or feeling it causes. This means that there are three circumstances that pertain to abuse of prescription drug abuse. First, let’s look at “intentional use” without a prescription. It is a federal offense to give or sell prescription medication to someone other than who it is prescribed to. Reading the side label tells you, that “FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS THE TRANSFER OF THIS DRUG TO ANY PERSON OTHER THAN THE PATIENT FOR WHOM IT WAS PRESCRIBED.” One reason shown for taking someone else’s prescription was “if a Dr. prescribes, than naturally safe.” This reason is also true in why some people hand out their own medication. If it’s okay for them, it won’t hurt someone else. Second reason for what defines abuse, using in a way other than...
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...Drugs and technology While it is almost impossible to get an actual percentage of people affected by drug addiction, the use continues to grow. Most people will admit to trying some form of illegal drug, but addicts have a hard time even coming to grasp that they are addicted. Our society has been struggling with addiction for hundreds of years. Those affected vary in age, and are not limited to adults. According to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2011), there are approximately 27 million Americans today that either use illicit drugs regularly or are “heavy drinkers”. Sixteen million of these are in need of immediate treatment for their addiction problem. By the age of 18 almost 12 percent of young people in America are addicted to drugs. Statistics also show that about 70 percent of users who are employed contribute significantly to absenteeism in the work place, workplace accidents, workplace injuries, decreased productivity, increased insurance premiums, and large employee turnover and violence in the workplace. The total estimated cost to our society in America for substance abuse exceeds 250 billion dollars per year. Addiction has become prominent as one of the worst health and social problems in the United States today. (coachinginternational.com) Through the last two decades, addiction rates in the United States have increased significantly because of the advancements in Information Technology. Social networking, internet access...
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...Prescription drug abuse is on the rise as a result of the numerous ways they can be taken, the different varieties of each type of drug, and their effortless accessibility. Doctors have reported writing more prescriptions out to patients recently than there has ever been before. “Ohio pharmacists filled 2.7 million prescriptions in 2008 for high-powered painkillers such as OxyContin and Percocet, narcotics that contain oxycodone; that's nearly one for every four people in the state” (The Columbus Dispatch 1). In addition to going to a local pharmacy to get prescription medication, people now can go to the Internet and find an online pharmacy which will send them medications. They are able to attain medication easier for the following reasons:...
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