Prescription Drug Abuse refers to taking a medicine in a way that is different from what the doctor prescribed. This occurs by:
- Taking a medicine that was prescribed for someone else
- Taking a larger dose than you are supposed to
- Taking the medicine in a different way than you are supposed to. This might be crushing tablets and then snorting or injecting them.
- Using the medicine for another purpose, such as getting high
- MedlinePlus. Prescription Drug Misuse MedlinePlus, Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); updated 2023 June. Prescription Drug Misuse. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/prescriptiondrugmisuse.html
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Articles, Databases and Videos
- American Journal of Public HealthArticles of original research, research methods, program evaluations, analytic reviews, including health policy analysis and reports on health policy. Contains articles on addiction types, including prescription and illegal drugs.
- American Journal on AddictionsCovers everything from co-dependence to genetics & epidemiology to dual diagnosis.
- Culture, Medicine & PsychiatryRefereed articles, original research, theoretical papers and review articles in the fields of medical and psychiatric anthropology, cross-cultural psychiatry and related cross-societal and clinical and epidemiological studies. Articles on cross-cultural substance and drug abuse.
- Drugs: Education, Prevention & PolicyPublishes multi-disciplinary papers on the prevention of substance misuse & related problems.
- Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical & ExperimentalProvides a forum for the evaluation of clinical & experimental research on both new & established psychotropic medicines.
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowFull-text access to articles out of academic journals as well as general interest magazines with excellent coverage in a wide variety of disciplines. Watch the How To Use Academic Search Complete video.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowAccess to full-text scholarly journals from a wide variety of fields. Contains the full archive of most journals, except for the current 1-5 years. Watch the How to Use JSTOR video.
- Alt-HealthWatch This link opens in a new windowProvides in-depth coverage across the full spectrum of subject areas covered by complementary and alternative medicine dating back to 1990, some with full text.
- Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition This link opens in a new windowProvides access to an index of magazines and journals articles in the medical disciplines. Many of the articles are available full-text.
- Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new windowExtensive list of sample topics on front page leading to gateways of full-text resources including: book chapters, viewpoint essays, news, magazine and academic journal articles as well as some statistical data. Watch the How to Use Opposing Viewpoints video.
Websites
- Mayo Clinic: Prescription Drug AbuseOverview of prescription drug abuse. Includes statistics, symptoms and evaluation of drug abuse.
Links to other Mayo Clinic sites and sources. - Medline Plus: Prescription drug abuseMedlinePlus is the National Institutes of Health's Web site for patients and their families and friends. Produced by the National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest medical library, it brings you information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues. MedlinePlus offers reliable, up-to-date health information, anytime, anywhere, for free. Includes links to articles, infographics, statistics and research.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health: National Trends: Drug FactsThe Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a federal government office which oversees programs and studies of mental health and substance abuse in the United States. They conduct the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), a major source of information on substance use, abuse, and dependence among Americans 12 years and older. The following are facts and statistics on substance use in the United States in 2013, the most recent year for NSDUH survey results.
- DEA: Get Smart About DrugsA website from the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Covers all types of drugs including prescription drug abuse, illegal drugs. Information about types of drugs, and current news and information. Aimed at a general audience with current updates and information. About the DEA: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is the only federal agency with a single mission dedicated to drug law enforcement. With unique operational and intelligence capabilities, DEA staff identify, investigate, disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations, remove drugs and violent criminals from communities, and fight the diversion of illegal drugs."
- California Department of Public Health: Opioid AbuseA report on Opioid Prevention in California by the California Department of Public Health. Contains statistics and descriptions of programs created to deal with epidemic.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Understanding the EpidemicOverview and statistics about the Opioid Crisis.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Califonia Opioid UseInformation specifically for the state of California. Links to videos, additional governmental federal and state websites for opioid prevention strategies and programs.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: OpioidsInformation on opioid addiction in United States. Stories by former addicts, reports and statistics. Links to government publications, including a report by the Surgeon General on prescription drug abuse.