Prescription drug abuse definition: misuse of prescription drugs means taking a

medication in a manner or dose other than prescribed or taking someone elses

prescription
Most common drugs abused: opiods, cns depressants, stimulants
Among those who reported past year nonmedical use of a prescription drug, nearly 12
percent met criteria for prescription drug use disorder.
OD deaths involving opiod pain relievers have more than quadrupled since 1999 and
outnumbers those involving heroin and cocaine since 2002
Unintentional overdose deaths involving opioid pain relievers have more than quadrupled
since 1999 and have outnumbered those involving heroin and cocaine since 2002.

In the US alone, more than 15 million people abuse prescription drugs, more than the
combined number who reported abusing cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants and heroin.
The United States makes up 5% of the worlds population and consumes 75% of the
worlds prescription drugs
Significantly more Americans, 37 percent, say the country is losing ground on the
problem of prescription drug abuse.
Each year, about 4.5 million Americans visit their doctors office or the emergency room
because of adverse prescription drug side effects.
The five most popular prescription drugs that are being abused by teenagers:
OxyContin.
Vicodin.
Adderall.
Xanax.
Valium.
Prescription drug monitoring programs, are electronic databases used to watch and track
the dispensing and prescribing of prescription drugs to patients, and can help prevent and
identify prescription drug misuse.
NC has created new requirements for doctors to renew their licenses. They will notify
doctors who may be writing excessive prescriptions and track when prescriptions lead to
overdose deaths.

Doctors will get notified if a patient has received prescriptions from 6 different
physicians and 6 different pharmacies over a 6-month period.

The Drug Enforcement Agency is focusing on doctors who illegally prescribe these drugs. They
will look for people who visit multiple doctors to watch multiple prescriptions and pill mills.

Harmful chemicals have numerous opportunities to affect the air, soil, and water. This can
leads to environmental hazards and a decreased quality of life for those who come in
contact with them.
Sewage systems cannot remove all the drugs in the water.
The economic cost:$215 billion.

In 2007, there were approximately 1.8 million admissions to state-licensed treatment

facilities for illicit drug dependence or abuse.

A 2012 federal report showed that NC had 97 painkiller prescriptions written per 100
people, which rate was the 13th highest in the US, according to the CDC.

9 in 10 doctors report prescription drug abuse is a problem in their communities, and 85%
think that prescription drugs are overused in clinical setting.

88% of doctor say they are satisfied in their skills related to prescribing drugs. "Doctors
tend to be confident individuals, and in some cases, they may also underestimate the risks
of these medicines relative to their benefits,"