MEDICINE AND HEALTH

Therapeutic Prescription Drug Use and Abuse

Therapeutic Prescription Drug Use and Abuse

Introduction

Therapeutic prescription drug abuse in the United States has recently gained the attention of both academic researchers and the popular media. There is good reason. It is estimated by the National Institute of Drug Abuse that 48 million people over the age of 12, or 20 percent of the total population, have used prescription drugs recreationally at some point in time. Since 1990, the number of new recreational prescription narcotics users has increased dramatically from approximately 570,000, to 2.5 million in 2000. That is a four-fold increase in only 10 years. There is a fine line between therapeutic drug use and abuse. Given the rise in the abuse of therapeutic prescription drugs, issues related to their use deserve close inspection.

Discussion

Unlike other illicit substances, therapeutic prescription drugs have legitimate medical uses. They benefit millions of people daily with the management of pain, anxiety, and sleep disorders. Thus, many individuals use prescriptions drugs. However, there is very fine line between therapeutic drug use and abuse. Prescription drug abuse is defined as the intentional use of a prescribed substance solely for its psychoactive effects in the absence of medical treatment and supervision (Culberson & Ziska, 2008). By this definition, several activities would be considered abusive drug use. For example, taking a drug without a prescription or taking a prescribed drug after a condition has been alleviated would be abuse. The use of a drug prescribed to another, even for a medical reason, is also abuse. In each instance, the two critical criteria of abuse include (1) the use of a drug without the supervision of a medical professional and (2) the absence of an existing ailment or condition.

There are quite a lot of differences that exists in this debate, and includes the following.

There is no clear defining line between therapeutic prescription drug abuse and addiction. Although, DSM-IV points out the drugs abuse and dependence criteria, but there are few overlapping concerning points that creates hindrance for declaring an act use or abuse or perhaps addiction. Academics believe that the principles should be properly re-inspected helping in categorizing drug use or abuse.

One problem that exists is identifying the therapeutic drug abuse. People experiment with drugs for many different reasons. Many first try drugs out of curiosity, to have a good time, because friends are doing it, or in an effort to improve ...