Educate Patients on the Risks of Prescription and Non-Prescription Drugs

Introductory Paragraph

There is a common misperception in the United States that prescription drug use is without risks since these drugs are legal and used for medical purposes. Pain relievers, along with other prescription drugs such as sedatives, stimulants, and tranquilizers, are highly prescribed in the United States and have the potential for misuse, dependence, overdose, and even death when used inappropriately . In the late 1990s, healthcare providers began to prescribe opioid pain relievers at high rates due to pharmaceutical companies’ reassurance that patients would not likely become addicted to this medication . However, the increase in prescription use soon led to misuse of prescription and nonprescription opioid use . In 2015, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 91.8 million adults used prescription pain relievers. The individuals who reported misuse of prescription pain relievers stated that they did so in order to relieve pain, relax, help with sleep, and relieve tension. The two most commonly reported sources of obtaining pain relievers that were misused came from friends or relatives and healthcare providers. For this reason, physicians should consider speaking with their patients about potential risks of misusing medication, not sharing prescription medication with friends or family members, keeping medication out of reach from others, and appropriately disposing of remaining dosages .

Key Information

Overview

The most common types of prescription medication that are misused are: opioids used to treat pain, central nervous system depressants used to treat anxiety and sleep issues, and stimulants used to treat attention deficit disorders . Over the past 15 years, the United States has experienced a rise in emergency room visits, overdoses leading to death, and increased drug treatment admissions. Fatality rates from overdose rose from 3,442 in 1999 to 17,029 in 2017 . In 2020, the most commonly misused prescription drug was psychotherapeutic medication. That year, almost 17 million people, or about 6% of people 12 and older, attested to misusing this type of medication within the past 12 months . Also in 2020, SAMHSA reported 9.5 million people ages 12 and older had misused opioids (both prescription and non-prescription) . Clearly, prescription and non-prescription substance use is beginning to spiral out of control, causing personal, financial, physical, and mental health issues for victims of addiction and those close to them.

Relevant Research

In this section, please capture any recent findings, reports, or data on the topic. Please also highlight any gaps or existing disparities. Please include references and links to the information so that we may add a footnote for the reader to find further information. Do we have any available research about discriminatory practices? Is there information about the value of access to educational opportunities?

Impactful Federal, State, and Local Policies

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Available Tools and Resources

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Promising Practices

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