Team One, Page 1

Prescription America
Americas Problem with Prescription Drug Abuse

Completed By: David Ferrara, Dom Lepore, Kim Strouse

Salt Lake Community College: Comm 1010
April 15, 2016

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary

Project Description

3-4

Methods

The Problem Question

Analysis

4-5

History

Characteristics

Stakeholders

Policies/Politics

Problems and Solutions

Final two problems and solutions

6-9

Conclusion

Works Cited

10

Appendices

11-13

Appendix 1: Team Contract

11-12

Appendix 2: Comparison Chart

13

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Executive Summary
This report summarizes Group 1s problem solving process for our Group
Communication Project. The project required us to use the reflective thinking sequence to solve a
group problem. Our problem was to find ways to decrease prescription drug abuse in America.
Our group applied the reflective thinking sequence to find a feasible solution. We agreed
on the wording of our problem question, researched the problem, set up criteria for evaluating
the effectiveness of the potential solutions, brainstormed possible solutions, analyzed these
solutions, recommended a specific solution, and set up a plan for implementing the solution.
Our recommendation is to provide better quality education to the public on the dangers of
prescription drugs, preventative measures, and alternative treatment options.
Project Description
Our project goal is to find a solution for the problem Americans have with prescription
drugs and the negative effects it has on our society and environment. As a group, we researched
how drug prescriptions are so easy to obtain by filling multiple prescriptions and doctor
shopping. We looked at the Controlled Substance Database (CSD) and how they can make
improvements to regulate how doctors hand out prescriptions. We decided that one of the most
effective means for improvements to be made was by educating people about the negative effects
of prescription drug use and how to prevent doctor shopping. According to our extensive
research, we also discovered many people are actually pouring there expired drugs down the
toilet, not knowing it isn't fully filtered from the water. Sadly, there was very little research on
what this does to the ecosystem and the effects of it on plants and animals. We decided to find
out how to better address this solution and how the government should get involved.
It is critical that the problem America has with prescription drug use be addressed and
fixed, as it has detrimental consequences to those who are knowingly as well as unknowingly

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ingesting them. The problem is growing by the day and it must be slowed down and eventually
stopped.

Methods
We began our project by creating a group contract (Appendix I). We then applied the
reflective thinking sequence to attempt to solve the prescription drug use problem. The reflective
thinking sequence (Adler & Elmhorst, p. 248) provides a procedure groups can use to solve
problems effectively. This method integrates both right brain creativity and left brain logic. It
counteracts a groups tendency to fall into groupthink (Adler & Elmhorst, p. 264) because it
requires group members to consider all possible negative consequences of a solution before
implementing it. We will describe below our methods and findings for each step. After we
completed our report, we assigned participation points to each member, based on the quality of
their contributions to the project (see Appendix 2). (Adler & Elmhorst, 2010)
Part I: The Problem Question
It is important to state our problem as an open-ended question (COMM 1010 WebCT
page, 2010). If the question is open-ended, we will not be tempted to start with one specific
solution in mind.
Our problem, stated as a question, is: Is there a solution for the drug problem in
America?
Part II: Analyzing the problem
Before considering solutions it is good to understand our problem. If we fail to do this
our solution may not be the best one to fix the problem or it may even worsen the problem. By
studying and thinking about our desired outcome we can prevent this from happening.

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While we studied the problem we considered a number of things. Some of which include
the history, the characteristics, the stakeholders, the policies that are in place and other resources
that are available.
History
1. Prescription drug abuse has been an increasingly growing problem for several
years, getting worse every day.
2. The Controlled Substance Database (CSD) has made attempts to decrease this
problem with little success.
Characteristics
1. Positive characteristics of our problem include pain management for those who
are in legitimate need of pain control that is beyond natural remedies. In addition,
those medications are easily accessible in America, as opposed to other countries.
2. Negative characteristics of our problem include intentional over-pricing of
prescription drugs by pharmaceutical companies, who knowingly take advantage
of those whose life sometimes depends on taking these medications, people
unknowingly ingesting potentially harmful prescriptions against their will via
contaminated water, and wildlife and plant life ingestion.
Stakeholders
1. Families and friends of the consumer suffer by loss of time, death, or
rehabilitation.
2. Drug companies profit tremendously when people purchase their medications,
particularly when the mark-up is so incredibly high.
3. Water supply is affected because not all prescription drugs fully absorb into the
body, which means it is excreted through bodily fluids, into our sewer system, and
eventually our drinking water.
4. Wildlife consumes contaminated water and our plants absorb, which puts their
health at risk.
Policies/Politics

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1. The DEA is now putting an end to certain narcotics being called in to pharmacies
and are requiring the prescription to be brought in after being printed on tamperresistant paper with the prescribers original signature, which is incredibly
inconvenient to an abuser.
2. Further efforts across the U.S. include education within schools and communities
on the dangers of prescription drugs and more aggressive efforts from law
enforcement to address doctor shopping.
3. Unfortunately, there is little to no rush in investigating the potential threat of the
impact of prescription drugs on our wildlife.
Problem and Solutions
First, we chose which problem was more of a priority to fix, then we chose our top five
solutions. We did this by first combining some problems and solutions that were similar. Then
we started from the bottom and eliminated those problems and solutions we liked least. Finally,
we voted on the remaining problems and solutions and chose those that got the most votes. We
ended up with two main problems and a solution for each.

Top 5 Problems:
1. Doctors carelessly hand out prescription drugs to patients
2. Consumers are uneducated on the dangers of prescription drugs
3. Consumers doctor shop in order to obtain multiple prescriptions and feed their drug
abuse problem
4. Drug companies may be sued by family members of the deceased
5. Prescription drugs account for more overdoses than street drugs
Top 5 Solutions:
1. Installation of 100% effective water filtration systems
2. Better public education
3.

Collect rain water and test difference between that and tap/bottled water to prove the
purity of rain water vs. tap/bottled water

4. Required continuation of education for all prescribers to learn more about how to better
manage their prescriptions

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5. Drug companies focus on making Rx's that fully absorb in the body to prevent water
contamination
We were able to create a comparison chart (Appendix II) to help us narrow down the top
two problems and solutions, which are listed below:
Problem 1: Negative effects on the environment including water, wildlife, and plant life
The more people who take prescription drugs, the more they are transmitted to our water
supply, but how? A large amount of prescription drugs, including antidepressants and narcotic
pain medications, are not fully absorbed in the body. This means that the drug is secreted through
urine and feces, into the sewer system, poorly filtered, and into our drinking water. An
investigation conducted by the Associated Press shows in 24 major metropolitan areas, our
drinking water is tainted by drugs. The study also found the drugs are able to get into our water
supply by a common mistake of flushing unused medications down the toilet. Because of the
expense of better water filtration systems, no one is able to invest in this multi-billion dollar
project. Humans arent the only living beings affected by this. Wildlife and plant life who
consume and absorb the water are also negatively affected. Unfortunately, there is little to no
rush in investigating the potential threat of the impact of prescription drugs on our wildlife. A
preliminary study at the University of Idaho showed freshwater fish, who were allowed to swim
in water tainted with SSRI antidepressants and anticonvulsants for 18 days, showed 324 genetic
alterations from being exposed to the water. According to an Associated Press Investigation in
2008, a small amount of pharmaceutical drugs were already contaminating a variety of species.
As previously mentioned, further investigation on this matters is not much of a priority to
government officials.
Solution 1: Make better water filtration system installation a bigger priority
It is understandable that it is very expensive to install top of the line water filtration
systems with nearly 100% filtration, especially nationwide. It is, however, the only way we can
ensure people and wildlife from unknowingly ingesting these harmful medications.
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that Americans will stop or reduce their usage anytime in the
foreseeable future. Another suggestion, to soften the financial blow, would be to start the water
filtration replacement in the most affected areas and slowly replace all systems nationwide. We

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could also encourage more government involvement on the issue, as they are presently not very
involved in this pressing matter.
Problem 2: Lack of public education on prescription danger and alternative solutions
We believe the public is, for the most part, very uneducated when it comes to knowing
the dangers of prescription drugs. Most people trust their doctors and are willing to take anything
prescribed to them without question. Other people desire a magic pill to cure them instantly. In
fact, in todays society, we live by the saying theres a pill for that! Studies show patient
satisfaction decreases when they dont leave their doctors office without a prescription. For this
reason, doctors have adopted a hands tied behind my back attitude and in most cases, will
write the prescription to get the patient out of their office without hassle. Other doctors are too
busy to properly counsel their patients on the dangers of prescription drugs and the drug-free
solutions available. Some patients also believe it is disrespectful to question an authoritative
figure when they tell you that you need something.
Solution 2: Better educate the public on the negative physical and environmental damages done
by ingesting potentially unnecessary prescription drugs, preventative measures, as well as
alternative solutions.
Educating the public could include billboards, radio ads, tv commercials and seminars.
Doctors and pharmacies should also be encouraged to further educate their patients on the side
effects, as well as alternative treatment options such as yoga, physical therapy, chiropractic care,
counselling and meditation. We as a group discussed doctors being required to take continuing
education courses annually to teach them strategies on better patient education specifically in
regards to the dangers of prescription drugs. Through patient education, patients should also
learn what questions to ask their doctors to ensure they are getting the treatment that is specific
to their needs, as a lot of doctors dont have time, or in some cases dont care, to customize their
patients care plan. The public should be counselled on preventative measures to avoid even
beginning prescription drugs.

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Conclusion
Our team of three classmates in COMM 1010 chose to recommend better public
education as a means of reducing the prescription drug problem America has. We used the
reflective thinking sequence to study the problem suggest criteria and potential solutions, then to
recommend the best solution and how to implement it.
Our recommendation is that with the assistance of the state school legislatures, teachers,
doctors, pharmacists, and the general public this can be done. This is the best solution because
more awareness and alternative options means better outcomes. Most people dont know better,
healthier, and sometimes more effective treatments even exist, as they are simply just handed a
prescription.

Works Cited
Doheny, Kathleen. Drugs in Our Drinking Water? WebMD, 10 March 2008. Web. 3 March
2016.

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Kane, Jason. Prescription Drug Abuse: Top 10 Things CDC Says You Should Know. PBS, 30
April 2013. Web. 10 March 2016.
UNODC, World Drug Report 2011 (United Nations Publication, Sales No. E.11.XI.10). Web. 10
March 2016.
n.p. Popping Pills: Prescription Drug Abuse in America. National Institute of Drug Abuse,
January 2014. Web. 10 March 2016.
N.p. Preventing and Recognizing Prescription Drug Abuse. National Institute on Drug Abuse.
2014 November. Web. 20 March 2016.
Volkow, Nora. What is the Federal Government Doing to Combat the Opioid Drug Abuse
Epidemic? National Institute on Drug Abuse. 15 May 2015. Web. 20 March 2016.
N.p. Making Reducing Prescription Drug Abuse a Priority on Capitol Hill. Partnership for
Drug-Free Kids. N.d.Web. 20 March 2016.
Harvey, Matt. Your Tap Water is Probably Laced with Antidepressants. The Fix. 13 March
2013. Web. 24 March 2016.
Elmhorst, Jeanne Marquardt, and Kristen Lucas. Pages A18-A35. Comm 1010 Salt Lake
Community College Communicating at Work Strategies for Success in Business and the
Professions. By Ronald A. Adler. N.p.: McGraw-Hill, n.d. N. pag. Print. 7 April 2016
Prescription Pills. Digital image. Native Fate. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 April 2016

Appendix I: Team One Group Contract

Class: Comm 1010
Semester: Spring 2016

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Date Created: 4 March 2016

Team Members/Contact Information:
Kim Strouse:

801-833-8944

kstrouse30@gmail.com

Dom Lepore:

801-674-4561

domtomlepore@gmail.com

David Ferrara

801-895-6962

g-gunner@hotmail.com

Team Norms
Relational Norms:

Allow everyones opinions to be expressed

Report to your entire team via e-mail and/or group text no later than Monday evening
Have 100% commitment to this project
Task Norms:

No texting or e-mails after 8:00 PM

Make all team members aware when a contribution to project has been made
Let all team members know if there will be a delay in contribution
Relational roles:

Team Leader: Kim Strouse (turns in assignments on time)

Gatekeeper: Dom Lepore (Makes sure everyone shares equally and their opinion is heard

by other members of the group)

Compromiser: David Ferrara (Assists in reaching a unanimous decision amongst
teammates)

Task Roles:

Facilitator: Dom Lepore (Spokesperson for the group, ensures everyone follows through

with contribution deadlines)

Proofreader: Kim Strouse (Proofreads final document to ensure accuracy)
Information seeker: David Ferrara (ask for clarification for factual adequacy)

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Appendix II: Solution Analysis Chart

This chart, which we used in Step VI, evaluates each solution in terms of each criterion:

Criterion

Solution
1

Solution
2

Solution
3

Solution
4

Solution 5

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Drug
companies
develop
drugs that
fully
absorb in
the body

Better
water
filtration
systems
with 100%
filtration
(start with
most
affected
areas)

Better
quality
public
education on
preventative
measures
and
alternative
remedies for
health
conditions

10

10

10

10

Be achievable
within 5 years

10

Be cost
effective

10

10

10

Totals

34

26

10

38

40

Apply excellent
communication
skills learned
in class to
speak to
congress
officials, drug
companies,
and the public
Devote a large
amount of time
to research
and talking to
others to assist
in a change

Required
annual
continuatio
n of
education
for all
prescribers
specific to
prescriptio
n danger

Encourage
more
Governme
nt
involveme
nt

10

This chart was able to help us determine that better public education as well as better
quality water filtration systems are the solutions that has the best possible outcome in terms of
reducing, or better yet solving, the prescription drug problem in America and the consequences
of such.