Prescription medication (or drugs Rx) is generally used correctly and by the people who have been prescribed those drugs. However, statistics show that approximately 20 percent of people in America have used prescription drugs for reasons other than the conditions for which they were prescribed. This is considered abuse of prescription drugs. And it is a growing trend that is dangerous.
This could be the young woman who takes her brother’s ADHD medication as an appetite suppressant or the young man who finds painkillers prescribed to his father after a surgical procedure. Both assume that because these drugs were prescribed they must be safe. There’s also the assumption that because they are prescription drugs there’s no risk of addiction. However, there’s a very high risk of addiction especially with narcotic painkillers, stimulants, sedatives, and tranquilizers.
Additionally, some people experiment with these prescription drugs thinking it’s fun, they will help them lose weight, or they will help them to be accepted by their peers. And these drugs can be easier to obtain than illegal street drugs. These drugs can be obtained from friends and family. There are also many illicit websites that will sell these drugs online, even to youngsters.
Unfortunately many people who abuse these drugs ignore the fact that they are placing themselves in danger. These drugs are only safe for those for whom the prescription was written because a doctor examined that person and gave him or her the correct dosage for his or her specific condition. Doctors also usually monitor the patients for potential side effects and other complications.
While overdosing on drugs is a major risk, the chemicals and compounds in the prescription drugs can interact badly when taken in combination with other substances. Pharmacists and physicians can monitor any possible dangerous interaction of drugs, and this monitor cannot happen with people who are abusing drugs not prescribed for them.
