Prescription Drug Abuse
URL of this page:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/prescriptiondrugabuse.htmlMost people take medicines only for the reasons their doctors prescribe them. But an estimated 20 percent of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons. This is prescription drug abuse. It is a serious and growing problem.
Abusing some prescription drugs can lead to addiction. You can develop an addiction to:
* Narcotic painkillers
* Sedatives and tranquilizers
* Stimulants
Experts don't know exactly why this type of drug abuse is increasing. The availability of drugs is probably one reason. Doctors are prescribing more drugs for more health problems than ever before. Online pharmacies make it easy to get prescription drugs without a prescription, even for youngsters.
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Start Here
* Prescription Drug Abuse ChartFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) -
http://www.nida.nih.gov/DrugPages/PrescripDrugsChart.html * Prescription Drugs: Abuse and AddictionFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) -
http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Prescription/Prescription.html Also available in Spanish
http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Prescripcion/Prescripcion.html * Prescription Pain and Other MedicationsFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) -
http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/Painmed.html Also available in Spanish
http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/Medicamentos-sp.htmlOverviews
* Drugs of Abuse: Prescription MedicationsFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) -
http://www.nida.nih.gov/drugpages/prescription.html * Prescription Drug Abuse(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) -
http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/prescription-drug-abuse/DS01079/METHOD=print&DSECTION=allLatest News
* Extended Therapy Helps Drug-Addicted Teens(11/04/2008, HealthDay) -
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_71239.html * 'Street' Drug Use Down, Prescription Drug Abuse Rising(09/04/2008, HealthDay) -
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68925.html * College Freshmen See Prescription Drug Misuse More Risky Than Alcohol, Pot(09/03/2008, HealthDay) -
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68870.htmlTreatment
* Treating Prescription Drug AddictionFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) -
http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Prescription/prescription7.htmlPrevention/Screening
* Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention(Office of National Drug Control Policy) -
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/prescr_drg_abuse.html * Preventing and Recognizing Prescription Drug AbuseFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) -
http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Prescription/prescription6.htmlSpecific Conditions
* Benzodiazepines(Drug Enforcement Administration) -
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/benzodiazepines.html * Depressants(Drug Enforcement Administration) -
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/depressants.html * Oxycontin(Partnership for a Drug-Free America) -
http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/drug_guide/OxyContin * Prescription Pain Relievers(Partnership for a Drug-Free America) -
http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/drug_guide/Prescription_Pain_Relievers * Prescription Sedatives and Tranquilizers(Partnership for a Drug-Free America) -
http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/drug_guide/Prescription_Sedatives_Tranquilizers * Prescription Stimulants(Partnership for a Drug-Free America) -
http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/drug_guide/Prescription_Stimulants * Some Commonly Prescribed Medications: Use and ConsequencesFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) -
http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Prescription/prescription8.html * Steroids (Anabolic-Androgenic)From the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) -
http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/steroids.html * Stimulant ADHD Medications - Methylphenidate and AmphetaminesFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) -
http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/ADHD.html Also available in Spanish
http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/ritalin-sp.htmlResearch
* Alcohol Abuse Makes Prescription Drug Abuse More LikelyFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) -
http://www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_notes/NNvol21N5/alcohol.html * Studies Identify Factors Surrounding Rise in Abuse of Prescription Drugs by College StudentsFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) -
http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDA_notes/NNvol20N4/Studies.htmlJournal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
* Article: Consumption of benzodiazepines without prescription among first-year nursing students at... -
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18709287&tool=MedlinePlus * Article: A comparison of benzodiazepine and related drug use in Nova... -
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18801216&tool=MedlinePlus * Article: Prescription drug misuse/abuse in the elderly. -
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18763848&tool=MedlinePlus * Prescription Drug Abuse -- see more articles -
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=prescriptions,drug[mh]+AND+substance+related+disorders[mh:noexp]+AND+english[la]&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
Directories
* Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) -
http://dasis3.samhsa.gov/Organizations
* Center for Drug Evaluation and Research -
http://www.fda.gov/cder/ * Drug Enforcement Administration -
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/ * National Institute on Drug AbuseFrom the National Institutes of Health -
http://www.nida.nih.gov/ * Partnership for a Drug-Free America -
http://www.drugfree.org/Statistics
* 2006 National Survey on Drug Use & Health: National Results(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) -
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh/2k6nsduh/2k6Results.cfm * NewAmericans Believe in Prevention and Recovery from Addictions(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - Links to PDF -
http://www.samhsa.gov/Attitudes/CARAVAN_Factsheet.pdf * Non-Medical Use and Abuse: Prescription-Type and Over-the-Counter Drugs(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) -
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/prescription.htm * Nonmedical Stimulant Use, Other Drug Use, Delinquent Behaviors, and Depression among Adolescents(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) -
http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/stimulants/depression.htm * Nonmedical Use of Pain Relievers in Substate Regions: 2004 to 2006(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) -
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/pain/substate.htm * Trends in Prescription Drug AbuseFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) -
http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Prescription/prescription5.html * Women and Prescription Drugs(Office of National Drug Control Policy) -
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/factsht/women_presc_drgs.htmlTeenagers
* Ad Spotlights Teen Abuse of Medicinal Drugs(Food and Drug Administration) -
http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/antidrug071807.html * Prescription Drug Abuse(Nemours Foundation) -
http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/drugs/prescription_drug_abuse.html Also available in Spanish
http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/drogas/prescription_drug_abuse_esp.html * Prescription Medicine Abuse: A Serious Problem(Partnership for a Drug-Free America) -
http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/DrugIssue/Features/Prescription_Medicine_MisuseYou may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:
* Medicines -
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/medicines.html * Substance Abuse Problems -
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/substanceabuseproblems.htmlThe primary NIH organization for research on Prescription Drug Abuse is the National Institute on Drug Abuse -
http://www.nida.nih.gov/Date last updated: November 05 2008
Topic last reviewed: July 29 2008
