Prescription Drug Abuse and Addiction

These medications are prescribed by a physician and purchased at a pharmacy to treat cute or chronic pain (Byrne, Lander, & Ferris, 2009). Description Prescription Drug misuse and abuse affects all members of society to include the rich and famous, homemakers, physicians, executives, teachers, the young and the elderly. The fact that the medications are self-administered substances prescribed to treat acute or chronic conditions contributes to the increased Incidence of Dalton (Wolfed, Appear, & DuPont, 2011).

There are some factors that affect the rated of prescription drug abuse such as older people and women are less likely to abuse drugs (Weaver, & Jarvis, 2010). However adults that range In age thirty- five to forty-four have the highest drug abuse rates as wells as residences of the Southern and Western regions of the US (CDC, 2008). Rationale Everyday increasing amounts of the patients seek treatment in the emergency departments across the Valley of the Sun. These patients are actively seeking prescription painkillers.

Some of the patients have legitimate pain issues but most do not. Many of the high emergency room utilizes are treated in over four different hospital emergency departments per week. Many have been caught altering, or forging prescriptions. Patients give explanations such as their medication was lost, stolen, or the pharmacist did not give the correct amount of drugs for the Increased frequency of the need for refills (Wilfred, Appear, & DuPont, 2011). There are increased incidences of identity theft and patients using aliases to obtain prescriptions.