Prescription drug abuse is a serious health concern that causes an overdose crisis in the United States. There are several determinants such as social, economic, and healthcare-related issues, leading to the increased opioid-associated mortality. Even though the problem of prescription drug abuse is multifaceted and complicated, it is possible to reveal the following key causes: chronic pain prevalence, inadequate attention to pain treatment, non-medical use of prescribed drugs, poverty, and living problems, which is complicated by the increased drug availability and sales.
Drug overdose epidemic in the US involves oxycodone, hydrocodone, and other opioid analgesics, the mortality rates of which surpass those from heroin and cocaine. In particular, since 2010, 75 percent of pharmaceutical overdose death cases were induced by prescription drug abuse (King, Fraser, Boikos, Richardson, & Harper, 2014). In the recent study, researchers distinguish between three categories of determinants, focusing on a prescriber behavior, environmental and systemic issues, and a user behavior along with characteristics (King et al., 2014). It is noted that the mentioned categories function in combination, thus affecting the overall situation.
The first determinant of a prescriber behavior may be described by such terms as a high-volume prescribing, inadequate dosage, and sales (Paulozzi, Kilbourne, & Desai, 2011). In addition, one may note that the growing levels of patients encountering chronic pain compose one more health factor that impacts the actions of prescribers (Dasgupta, Beletsky, & Ciccarone, 2018). The improved rates of surviving after injuries, surgeries, and accidents as well as aging disorders along with greater expectations regarding pain relief cause chronic conditions. The limited access to pain treatment or insufficient attention of care providers to this option may be regarded as another health determinant that should be clarified. The above is largely refers to a lack of insurance, high care costs, and improper education of caregivers. The non-medical use of prescription drugs also contributes to high overdose and mortality rates (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2013). As a result, it becomes evident that a prescriber behavior and health determinants are closely intertwined.
Speaking of social determinants of prescription drug abuse, it is possible to state that it is closely connected to low-income, poverty, alcohol abuse, and high crime rates. According to Dasgupta et al. (2018), poor health and prescription overdose are associated with a lack of opportunities and substandard living conditions. In these cases, prescription overdose is characterized as a “disease of despair” that sometimes ends with suicide (Dasgupta et al., 2018, p. 183). The mentioned trend is especially pronounced in the American White population with a middle income who die early because of drug abuse. In this regard, the third determinant of environmental and systemic issues may be aligned with the economic factors. In particular, the increased drug availability in the US seems to catalyze prescription overdose, as argued by Dasgupta et al. (2018). In times of economic crises, the situation becomes especially critical as the number of prescription drug addicts raises.
Elaborating on the presentation of economic drivers, one may focus on high costs for pain treatment, missing insurance opportunities, and widespread sales of the identified drugs. As noted in the recent report prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2013), Medicaid-population is more prone to develop prescription drug overdose. At the same time, pharmacy shopping and policies promote opioid sales, deteriorating the problem of prescription drug abuse in the US. Thus, a set of social, health, and economic determinants leads to the specified health concern.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2013). Addressing prescription drug abuse in the United States: Current activities and future opportunities. Web.
Dasgupta, N., Beletsky, L., & Ciccarone, D. (2018). Opioid crisis: No easy fix to its social and economic determinants. American Journal of Public Health, 108(2), 182-186. Web.
King, N. B., Fraser, V., Boikos, C., Richardson, R., & Harper, S. (2014). Determinants of increased opioid-related mortality in the United States and Canada, 1990–2013: A systematic review. American Journal of Public Health, 104(8), 32-42. Web.
Paulozzi, L. J., Kilbourne, E. M., & Desai, H. A. (2011). Prescription drug monitoring programs and death rates from drug overdose. Pain Medicine, 12(5), 747-754. Web.