Prescription Drug Misuse

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Specifics

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

If you take a medicine in a way that is different from what the doctor prescribed, it is called prescription drug misuse. It could be

• Taking a medicine that was prescribed for someone else
• Taking a larger dose than you are supposed to
• Taking the medicine in a different way than you are supposed to. This might be crushing tablets and then snorting or injecting them.
• Using the medicine for another purpose, such as getting high

Misusing some prescription drugs can lead to addiction. These include opioids, sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants.

Every medicine has some risk of side effects. Doctors take this into account when prescribing medicines. People who misuse these drugs may not understand the risks. The medicines may not be safe for them, especially at higher doses or when taken with other medicines.

NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse

Start Here

• Prescription Drug Abuse (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Drug Testing (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Mental Health Screening (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Opioid Testing (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Signs of Painkiller Abuse and Addiction (National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• How Can Prescription Drug Misuse Be Prevented? (National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• How Can Prescription Drug Addiction Be Treated? (National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
• What to Do If Your Teen or Young Adult Has a Problem with Drugs (National Institute on Drug Abuse)

Specifics

• Anabolic Steroids: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Benzodiazepines (Drug Enforcement Administration)
• Stimulant ADHD Medications -- Methylphenidate and Amphetamines (National Institute on Drug Abuse) - PDF Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• Abuse of Prescription (Rx) Drugs Affects Young Adults Most (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
• Emergency Department Visits Involving Nonmedical Use of Central Nervous System Stimulants among Adults Aged 18 to 34 Increased between 2005 and 2011 (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF
• Popping Pills: Prescription Drug Abuse in America (National Institute on Drug Abuse) - PDF
• Which Classes of Prescription Drugs Are Commonly Misused? (National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Changes in Outpatient Buprenorphine Dispensing During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• Article: Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder Among Commercially Insured Patients in the...
• Article: Medicaid prescription limits and their implications for naloxone accessibility.
• Prescription Drug Misuse -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
• Drug Enforcement Administration
• Food and Drug Administration
• National Institute on Drug Abuse Also in Spanish
• Partnership at Drugfree.org (Partnership for a Drug-Free America)

Teenagers

• Depressants (Nemours Foundation)
• Misuse of Prescription Pain Relievers: The Buzz Takes Your Breath Away. Permanently. (Food and Drug Administration)
• Prescription Drug Abuse (Nemours Foundation)
• Prescription Drugs (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
• What to Do If You Have a Problem with Drugs: For Teens and Young Adults (National Institute on Drug Abuse)

Patient Handouts

• Substance use -- prescription drugs (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish