Introduction
Drug misuse and abuse are increasingly widespread problems that lead to higher levels of morbidity and mortality in all groups of the population in the US. It is fascinating how the same active ingredients contained in medicines that help treat severe illnesses can become dangerous if taken in the wrong doses or with other drugs. Healthcare practitioners should have a thorough understanding of how drugs can affect people’s lives. Many aspects determine how the drug interactions may be leading to drug misuse, which means that clinicians should give comprehensive advice to patients regarding drug use practices. Just as important, intentional drug abuse that may cause drug addiction can be prevented if drugs are sold strictly by prescription. This research aims to determine the best ways to prescript drugs, the importance of drug interactions, and the potential dangers of drug abuse.
Literature Review
The researcher analyzed the Harvard Medical School Commentaries on Health to understand what determines the drugs, why the drug categories matter, and how patients can cope with the growing arrays of information concerning the OTC drugs and their interaction (“What Makes Drug a Drug?”). The article provides important data on the functions and aims of drugs and widens the understanding of which types of medication can pose adverse health effects on different people. Similarly, the article from The Gale Encyclopedia of Senior Health provides an insight into the dangers older people using medications expose themselves to when consuming certain drugs (“Drug Interaction”). The article notes that drug interactions can lead to a change in the excretion of certain drugs from the body and an increase or decrease in the effect. Various age groups suffer different health effects based on their health conditions and the nature of the medications. The first article gives crucial information detailing reasons for using drugs for their specific purposes, which is essential in informing the choice of drugs for any age group. The second informs on how drugs interact with each other to cause undesired effects.
Notably, older people usually abstain from drug abuse but may be at higher risk for dangerous drug interactions. In an article from The Encyclopedia of Aging, it is noted that drug abuse among older people remains underestimated since many of them use alcohol, tobacco, barbiturates, and other opioid drugs for self-recreation (“Medication Misuse and Abuse”). Lynch presents a more extended discussion about the ways and types of interactions between drugs and other substances (1). This discussion also looks at the dangers of drug abuse by teenagers. The effects differ across various age groups due to the body functions. Aged people have weaker bodies compared to teenagers and young adults. To expand further on the dangers of drug abuse among adolescents and adults, the researcher studied Robinsons’ article presenting 11 types of prescription and OTC drugs most widely used by addicts. These drugs include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, sleep medicines, codeine and morphine, OxyContin and Percocet, Vicodin, Lortab and Lorcet, amphetamines, methylphenidate, dextromethorphan, and pseudoephedrine.
The detailed descriptions and photos of drugs present comprehensive information that doctors can use later when consulting parents of teenagers or potential addicts. According to an article from the Mayo Clinic website, the most widespread symptoms of drug abuse vary widely across individuals. Consequently, adults must understand how their teenagers react to various drugs, especially when the parents oversee the administration of such medications. Clinicians mostly understand such symptoms and can provide helpful information when consulting the patients and prescribing them drugs, thus helping them from becoming addicted.
Drug abuse has several adverse effects, which include addiction and sometimes serious health consequences. Schepis et al. discuss how drug abuse may lead to a reduction in life expectancy in different age groups, including an analysis of suicidal tendencies caused by drug-related depression. Schepis et al. further reveal that experts unanimously agree that drug misuse and abuse are dangerous and happen in all age categories. The authors opine that the drug abuse menace should be addressed by the healthcare practitioners responsible for increasing patients’ understanding of the related risks. Some articles are focused on older populations, while others discuss the drug problems of adults and adolescents.
Significance
Reviewing the previous research reveals there is insufficient clarity and best practices on how healthcare practitioners can prescribe drugs prone to abuse. The current research on drug misuse and abuse is important as it considers the causes and consequences of drug use, which can be useful for doctors and nurses who prescribe medications to different patient groups. The current research emphasizes the dangers for older and younger groups regarding using drugs. Therefore, this research provides more details on the issue, supports the previous research, and gives recommendations on how to address drug abuse from a clinical perspective. The research also joins the discussion concerning the dangers of drug abuse and misuse.
Research Method
The current research used literature review and interviews to gather the required information. For the interview, the researchers communicated with pharmacist Shan C., who has more than twelve years of experience in pharmacy and can be seen as an expert in the topic discussed. The following questions were asked during the interview: “What do you think is the most common misconception about taking drugs? Why?”, “Why is important to know side effects and drug interactions?”, “If you had the chance to change something about drug abuse. What would it be?” and “Do you think prescription drugs should be free for all?” The answers to the questions helped the researcher gain a better understanding of the research question regarding why a thorough attitude towards prescribing drugs is so important.
Research Analysis and Discussion
First, it was important to find out what determines the drug and to understand which aspects of interaction should be considered during the prescription. The drugs are determined as “devices intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease,” and “objects (other than food) intended to affect a structure or any function of the human or other animal body” (“What Makes a Drug Drug?” para. 3). Prescription medication, OTC drugs, cosmetics, and dietary supplements should all be seen as drugs with the potential for interaction. Ms. Shan notes that “it is important to know side effects and interactions because, for example, an interaction with Oxycodone and Opioid drugs will be causing higher levels in the body, leading to respiratory suppression, difficulty breathing, drowsiness, and more.” As a pharmacist, Ms. Shan advises such patients not to drive and to share the information about their drug intake with all their doctors. In other words, a better understanding of drug interactions leads to more thorough prescription advice.
There are several types of drug interactions, including interactions between OTC products and prescription drugs. Common interactions are defined as duplication, opposition, and drug alteration (Lynch). Interestingly, Robinson notes a particular danger of the OTC Pseudoephedrine pills, which are designed to reduce cough symptoms but can react with heavier drugs containing methamphetamine. As a result, these cough medicines are available in many pharmacies with requisites. Ms. Shan notes that interactions between OTC and prescription drugs could be avoided if the clinics accepted the shared “computer system in the entire United States for all healthcare facilities such as hospitals, pharmacies,” to “monitor patients’ prescription activity, especially for controlled substances, and improve drug abuse.” Therefore, the provision of advice by pharmacists regarding drug interactions can be facilitated using IT tools.
Drug abuse may cause severe symptoms of addiction that often lead to patients’ death. Mayo Clinic experts name some of the symptoms of opioid abuse that include “constipation, nausea, euphoria, slowed breathing rate, drowsiness, poor coordination, problems with memory and concentration” (“Prescription Drug Abuse” para. 8). At the same time, symptoms of stimulant abuse may include high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat; drug abuse with hard drugs can lead to coma and death. Ms. Shan says that she does not believe that “prescription drugs should be free because they could cause a higher chance of drug abuse.” Notably, clinicians who sell and prescribe drugs should be very careful when a patient asks for a repeat prescription or terminates a course of strong pain medication early and pay attention to whether such patients have symptoms of dependence. Timely intervention by doctors can save the lives of patients or avoid serious health consequences.
Limitations of the Research
Limitations of the study include the inability to put into practice some experimental recommendations in advance. At the same time, new research could expand the intervention or focus of clinicians who prescribe drugs for patients. Analysis of the responses of dependent patients may have great potential for further research, as the processes of drug abuse remain poorly understood. Therefore, the researcher recommends conducting follow-up surveys of the broader populations that are at risk.
Conclusion
Thus, the best ways to prescript drugs, the importance of drug interactions, and the potential dangers of drug abuse were discussed, and the related recommendations were provided. A better understanding of drug interactions leads to better advice to help patients avoid drug misuse and drug use misconceptions. The use of IT solutions for prescriptions can be a very handy tool for pharmacists to help reduce the levels of drug abuse and misuse among patients. Finally, clinicians should pay attention to the symptoms of drug abuse since addiction can lead to severe health consequences and death.
Works Cited
“Commonly Abused Prescription and OTC Drugs.” WebMD, 2021. Web.
“Drug Interactions.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Senior Health, 2022.
Lynch, Shalini S. “Drug Interactions.” Merck Manual, 2019.
“Medication Misuse and Abuse.” The Encyclopedia of Aging, 2022. Web.
“Prescription Drug Abuse.” Mayo Clinic, 2022.
Schepis, Ty S., et al. “Prescription Drug Misuse: Taking a Lifespan Perspective.” Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, vol. 14, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1-12.
“What Makes a Drug a Drug?” Harvard Medical School Commentaries on Health, 2022. Web.