Prescription drugs are a basic and invaluable part of society today, but there is debate surrounding the methods of testing new drugs, the possible misuse of prescription drugs, and the economics of drug production and use. This book examines the evolution of prescription drugs in the United States, as well as the formation of the pharmaceutical industry. It begins with a history of prescription drugs, dating back to their origins, then moves through the Industrial Revolution and into the present day. It also delves into the issues and controversies related to prescription drugs, such as drug costs, regulations, prescription drug abuse, insurance complications, and more. Both implemented and proposed solutions are also discussed. One of the most valuable aspects of the book is that it surveys the history of prescription drugs in a manner that helps the reader identify key issues in an easy-to-understand fashion. Finally, the perspectives chapter allows a broad range of voices to be heard, allowing crucial, diverse perspectives to round out the author's expertise.

Discusses how prescription drugs are abused, how to recognize this problem in parents and friends, and how to seek help.

The misuse and abuse of prescription drugs has reached epidemic proportions in recent years, yet many individuals still believe, incorrectly, that their use is without risk. This book explores those risks as well as controversies surrounding this public health issue. Prescription drugs are powerful tools that can be used to treat a variety of ailments, from pain to anxiety to insomnia. Their potency and perceived safety also make them targets for abuse. The misuse of prescription drugs can have dire health consequences for individuals and high economic costs for society, among other dangers. A part of Greenwood's Health and Medical Issues Today series, this book identifies prescription drugs that are abused and the consequences such abuse can have for both individuals and society, and discusses the many questions relating to how to address this public health issue. Part I explores the current magnitude of the prescription drug abuse epidemic in the United States, which drugs are most frequently abused, how individuals obtain these medications, and the consequences of abuse. Part II delves into the controversies surrounding the topic, including the roles that doctors and "Big Pharma" play and legal issues regarding prosecution of prescription drug abusers. Part III provides a variety of useful materials, including case studies, a timeline of critical events, and a directory of resources.

This outstanding resource guide for students and young adults provides an introduction to the history of prescription drug abuse that explains how this problem has arisen and examines the social, political, economic, and health issues associated with prescription drug abuse in modern society. Evidence suggests that both adults and youth are abusing a wider range of prescription drugs and abusing them more frequently than has been the case in the past. Prescription drugs are the second most common class of drugs abused by Americans, more than twice as commonly abused as cocaine, and five times as commonly abused as heroin. This book provides readers with information about the specific health effects that can result from using certain types of medical chemicals, particularly opioid analgesics, stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogenics; explains the most important factors that have led to the growth of prescription drug problems; and reviews the current status of the issue in the United States and other nations. Readers will learn about the dangers associated with the use of prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes, the methods that have been put in place and are being developed to prevent the abuse of prescription drugs, and the trends in prescription drug misuse, with possible explanations for these trends. The book also reviews some of the steps being taken by governments and other organizations and agencies to combat the problem of prescription drug abuse.

Severe, chronic pain affects at least 116 million Americans every year. But there are fewer than 4,000 pain specialists in the United States, and many insurers won’t cover physical therapy. But powerful pain medicines? They will certainly cover those. Prescriptions for powerful pain killers doubled between 1994 and 2008 — and abuse skyrocketed as well. The grim headlines are all too familiar. Celebrities such as Whitney Houston die of overdoses. Teens mix legitimate medicines — and pay with their lives. Heavy-handed government attempts to crack down on pain and anxiety medications have terrorized doctors and pharmacists and left thousands of desperate people in severe pain. Prescription Drug Abuse shows how big the problem is: how it became a problem, what is being done about it, and what readers can do. The book shows the risks, the benefits, and the safe way to use some of modern healthcare’s most miraculous medicines.

This overview of prescription drug abuse includes historical background, key concepts, and discussion of the prevalence of drug abuse, treatments, and policy issues implicated in ending the epidemic. Prescription opioid medication abuse has been declared a national crisis by experts in medicine, substance use, public health, and pain management, culminating in a declaration made by the President of the United States that opioid misuse and abuse is a national health emergency. In this comprehensive text, expert scholars analyze and address a wide range of issues in, obstacles to, and potential solutions for this emergency, which caused more than 50,000 deaths in 2016 alone. It covers a variety of topics related to prescription misuse from both clinical and academic perspectives. After an opening containing background material on the most commonly misused medications, chapters examine subgroups engaged in misuse and special medical environments where misuse issues are key. They then cover U.S. policy, perspectives outside the U.S., and theories that may explain the misuse phenomena. This book will serve as a resource for students and professionals in fields related to prescription drug abuse—including psychology, sociology, medicine, and public policy—and is accessible to individuals not trained in these fields.

In 2011, the prevalence of prescription drug abuse exceeded that of any other illicit drug except marijuana. Consequently, efforts to curtail abuse of new medications should begin during the drug development process, where abuse liability can be identified and addressed before a candidate medication has widespread use. The first step in this process is scheduling with the Drug Enforcement Agency so that legal access is appropriately restricted, dependent upon levels of abuse risk and medical benefit. To facilitate scheduling, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published guidance for industry that describes assessment of abuse liability. The purpose of this paper is to review methods that may be used to satisfy the FDA's regulatory requirements for animal behavioral and dependence pharmacology. Methods include psychomotor activity, self-administration (an animal model of the rewarding effects of a drug), drug discrimination (an animal model of the subjective effects of a drug), and evaluation of tolerance and dependence. Data from tests with known drugs of abuse illustrate typical results. While the use of preclinical data to predict abuse liability is an imperfect process, these methods have substantial predictive validity. The ultimate goal is to increase consumer safety through appropriate scheduling of new medications.