Providing access to prescription drugs is among the key tasks that the modern healthcare system should fulfil to increase recovery rates. Despite their analgesic, antipyretic, mood stabilizing and other effects, prescription medications present an important source of danger. Nowadays, prescription drug abuse is among the key issues in the U. S. healthcare. The paper analyzes different aspects of the problems in the context of ethical principles.
Numerous healthcare policies have been designed since the problem of prescription medication abuse was recognized. Many policies and abuse prevention strategies proposed in the U. S. refer to improving patient education concerning the side-effects of the most abused prescription drugs and preventing the cases of Medicare/Medicaid fraud (Phillips, 2013). To address the problem of growing overdose rates, modern policymakers widely discuss the necessity to reclassify abused drugs and introduce stricter punitive measures for individuals who sell drugs illegally (Phillips, 2013).
In terms of national and global prevention, the strategies aimed at strengthening drug control are improved on a regular basis to emphasize the most important aspects of the problem (The White House, n.d.). National strategies refer to spreading prevention to different spheres of life, by implementing prevention actions in healthcare, educational, or work settings. Importantly, they are also designed to strengthen international collaboration by working with CICAD and foreign partners (The White House, n.d.). Also, it needs to be noted that national and global strategies aimed at reducing prescription medication abuse rates are constructed with reference to widely accepted ethical principles such as beneficence, justice, and equity (Anderson et al., 2009; Swain, Burns, & Etkind, 2008). In reference to equity, the National Drug Control Strategy of the United States presents a list of strategic actions helping to focus on various aspects of drug abuse prevention, and particular attention is paid to the needs of vulnerable populations such as ethnic minorities (The White House, n.d.).
The introduction of new drug abuse treatment options and improving access to them also belong to the key components of national strategies all over the world. The development of treatment methods is also informed by the principles of ethics, especially justice. Understanding the situation with healthcare services in various minority communities, the government recognizes the need for additional addiction treatment facilities in some regions. In particular, the creation of new drugs helping to reduce prescription opioid abuse is among the key areas for development (Florence, Luo, Xu, & Zhou, 2016). Nowadays, healthcare centers in different parts of the country provide treatment programs for prescription drug abusers from various social and age groups. For instance, there are programs that help to improve workplace performance in pilots and other specialists, solve specific problems in young adults, treat patients through collaboration with newly admitted participants, and engage patients’ families (Talbott Recovery, n.d.). Such programs are based on the principles of confidentiality, privacy, and beneficence.
As for the financial aspect of the problem, the prevention of complications and deaths related to prescription medication abuse requires a lot of resources. For instance, the misuse of opioid drugs is related to almost 70% of deaths caused by prescription drug abuse (Florence et al., 2016, p. 901). Five years ago, the economic burden of the problem in the United States exceeded $78 billion (Florence et al., 2016, p. 901). Reducing these costs requires the development of more effective abuse prevention strategies that would utilize the principles of equity and beneficence (Pauly, MacKinnon, & Varcoe, 2009; Etkind, Arias, Bagley, & Nelson, 2008).
In the end, the problem of prescription medication abuse can impact people’s well-being and economic development in many countries, including the United States. The authorities widely discuss limiting access to potentially dangerous drugs, spreading prevention actions to different spheres of life, and preventing fraud as the ways to address the issue. Importantly, all planned and implemented measures are informed by such values as equity, justice, and beneficence because the needs of various age and social groups are taken into account.
References
Anderson, J. M., Rodney, P., Reimer-Kirkham, S., Browne, A. J., Khan, K. B., & Lynam, M. J. (2009). Inequities in health and healthcare viewed through the ethical lens of critical social justice: Contextual knowledge for the global priorities ahead. Advances in Nursing Science, 32(4), 282-294.
Etkind, P., Arias, D., Bagley, B., & Nelson, M. S. (2008). Preparing for the usual, preparing for the unusual: Ethics in routine and emergency public health practice. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 14(4), 367-371.
Florence, C., Luo, F., Xu, L., & Zhou, C. (2016). The economic burden of prescription opioid overdose, abuse and dependence in the United States, 2013. Medical Care, 54(10), 901-906.
Pauly, B. M., MacKinnon, K., & Varcoe, C. (2009). Revisiting “who gets care?”: Health equity as an arena for nursing action. Advances in Nursing Science, 32(2), 118-127.
Phillips, J. (2013). Prescription drug abuse: Problem, policies, and implications. Nursing Outlook, 61(2), 78-84.
Swain, G. R., Burns, K. A., & Etkind, P. (2008). Preparedness: Medical ethics versus public health ethics. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 14(4), 354-357.
Talbott Recovery. (n.d.). Specialty programs to meet specific needs. Web.
The White House. (n.d.). National drug control strategy. Web.