Pharmaceutical drug misuse in Australia.
Pharmaceutical drug abuse or misuse is the use of prescription medicines in a conflicting and contradictory way to the instructions prescribed for non-medical purposes. It can occur in various forms with different and adverse effects or harm to the users. Prescription drugs that are abused are categorized into; depressants, stimulants, and tranquilizers. The major prescription drugs commonly abused in Australia are the analgesics and benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are anxiety relieving minor tranquilizers. They are prescribed to help individuals sleep or reduce apprehension or nervousness. Valium, Serepax, Diazepam, and Xanax are the most popular brands of benzodiazepines misused in Australia. Analgesics,
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Every year more than 7 million benzodiazepine prescriptions are dispensed under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The high number of prescriptions shows that these drugs are abused and are used for long-term problems rather than short-term treatment. Given the evidence of overdose, addiction and various harms associated with the drug, there is growing concern. 61 percent of patients misusing benzodiazepines got them from general practitioners (Nicholas, et al., 2011). "The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners" in 2105 set new guidelines to control the prescription of benzodiazepines by general practitioners. NDSHS in a 2013 survey indicated that benzodiazepines were second in the list of commonly misused prescription drugs. The most commonly prescribed benzodiazepine in Australia is known as Diazepam (Welfare, 2013), and it is no surprise that it the most common to being …show more content…
Illicit drugs use attributed to more of the cases of transmission of STIs with the misuse of prescription drugs accounting for fewer of the cases. They impair judgment and lower awareness resulting in reckless behavior. Psychosis and other mental disorders are associated with to being caused or promoted by drug abuse among other factors. Though illicit drugs such as crystal meth contribute to mental illness prolonged misuse of pharmaceutical medicines may trigger psychological illness. The risk of mental illness is higher in people using illicit drugs than those misusing prescription medication. Illicit drug use and pharmaceutical drug abuse have major health
Prescription and pharmaceutical drug abuse is beginning to expand as a social issue within the United States because of the variety of drugs, their growing availability, and the social acceptance and peer pressure to uses them. Many in the workforce are suffering and failing at getting better due to the desperation driving their addiction.
Almost one hundred years ago, prescription drugs like morphine were available at almost any general store. Women carried bottles of very addictive potent opiate based pain killers in their purse. Many individuals like Edgar Allen Poe died from such addictions. Since that time through various federal, state and local laws, drugs like morphine are now prescription drugs; however, this has not stopped the addiction to opiate based pain killers. Today’s society combats an ever increasing number of very deadly addictive drugs from designer drugs to narcotics to the less potent but equally destructive alcohol and marijuana. With all of these new and old drugs going in and out of vogue with addicts, it appears that the increase of misuse and abuse is founded greater in the prescription opiate based painkillers.
Antidepressants are in no way uncommon to today's society. These drugs are used by millions of people everyday, young and old. Studies show that about one in every ten
According to the document Substance abuse by World of Health, the social effects of substance abuse may include dropping out of school, losing a series of jobs, engaging in fighting and violence in relationships, and legal problems. Drugs and alcohol are a go to when one is on the street because they help them fight the agonizing pain of having nothing. However, Drugs and alcohol have their side effects that lead to the human body destroying itself which results in the inability to contribute to society. A few examples according to World of Health state, “Opioid drug users may move slowly, lose weight, have mood swings, and have small pupils. Benzodiazepine and barbiturate users may appear sleepy and slowed, with slurred speech, small pupils, and occasional confusion. Amphetamine users may have excessively high energy, sleep problems, weight loss, rapid pulse, high blood pressure, occasional psychotic behavior and enlarged pupils. Marijuana users may be sluggish and slow to react, exhibiting mood swings and red eyes with dilated pupils. Cocaine users may have wide variations in their energy level, severe mood disturbances, and a constantly runny nose. Crack cocaine may cause aggressive or violent behavior. Hallucinogenic drug users may display bizarre behavior due to hallucinations and dilated pupils. LSD can cause flashbacks” in Substance
The most common prescription drug that many teenage drug abusers may be stealing or trying to purchase online would be opioids, also known as narcotics, which include drugs such as OxyContin, morphine, and Percocet (5). Narcotics are drugs that are used to relieve pain, triggering a sense of euphoria from the brain’s pleasure center. Many teens may abuse narcotics to feel that sense of pleasure (5). Another prescription medication that teenagers commonly abuse are stimulants, such as Adderall, Ritalin, and Dexedrine. These drugs stimulate dopamine production in the brain, lifting moods and calming anxiety, which is why it is a commonly abused prescription drug (5). Due to the easy accessibility with some of these prescription medications and their high potential for abuse, teenagers who abuse them are putting their mind’s and bodies at risk for the many side effects that come along with abusing drugs, which can sometimes be fatal.
Drug use and abuse is as old as mankind itself. Human beings have always had a desire to eat or drink substances that make them feel relaxed, stimulated, or euphoric. Wine was used at least from the time of the early Egyptians; narcotics from 4000 B.C.; and medicinal use of marijuana has been dated to 2737 B.C. in China. But it was not until the nineteenth century that the active substances in drugs were extracted. There was a time in history when some of these newly discovered substances, such as morphine, laudanum, cocaine, were completely unregulated and prescribed freely by physicians for a wide variety of ailments.
The drugs issue is a major problem in Australia. A simple solution cannot be found to solve this great problem because there are so many decisions, thoughts and sacrifices that need to be made. All sides of the issue must be considered when making such a large decision. To find a solution, several tests, meetings, interviews and research need to be made, to name a few. Extreme care is needed when challenging such major issues, all aspects of the problem need to be considered.
Fatal complications occur from regular use, for example, liver damage, seizures, elevated blood pressure causing stroke, heart failure, or heart attack. Another growing fad in the United States is the abuse of prescription drugs. The abuse is being done by not only adults, but by teens. The most current trend today is the misuse of cough syrups and prescription medications to produce a “high.” Other medications abused today are stimulants (Ritalin), and benzodiazepines (Xanax).
Typically, almost everyone in the world has taken drugs at some point in their life. Whether it be over the counter medication or prescription drugs. People get sick, they have illness, allegories, sexually transmitted diseases or other aches and pains. As you may already know, there is medication for each aforementioned problem. This is called drug use, which is using drugs for its intended purpose. However, the real dilemma happens when people began to misuse and abuse drugs.
Drug abuse and addiction are issues that affect people everywhere. However, these issues are usually treated as criminal activity rather than issues of public health. There is a conflict over whether addiction related to drug abuse is a disease or a choice. Addiction as a choice suggests that drug abusers are completely responsible for their actions, while addiction as a disease suggests that drug abusers need help in order to break their cycle of addiction. There is a lot of evidence that suggests that addiction is a disease, and should be treated rather than punished. Drug addiction is a disease because: some people are more likely to suffer from addiction due to their genes, drug abuse brought on by addictive behavior changes the brain and worsens the addiction, and the environment a person lives in can cause the person to relapse because addiction can so strongly affect a person.
Furthermore, mental illness and drug addiction are conditions that often occur together. This is a person who has two brain disorders that influence one another, and which both need treatment. Some say that certain drugs may actually cause mental illness in individuals with a weak genetic profile (Genetic Science Learning Center, 2011).With that being said, symptoms may get worse, but drugs do not necessarily cause mental illness. Some people may begin using drugs of abuse as a form of self-medication. For instance, drugs of abuse may temporarily relieve some of the symptoms associated with stress, anxiety, or depression, but the problems will still exist. Therefore, the form of self-medicating when using drugs can lead to harmful effects in a person’s mental health. People who have been undiagnosed may also suffer from serious mental disorders. So they may take drugs to relieve their symptom which is known as self-me...
Users who abuse drugs by prescription improperly use them by taking somebody else 's prescription, taking medication to get high, or taking medication in other ways than applied
Drug abuse is defined as the excessive use of medication or substances which are either legal or illegal without the prescription of a physician. While some drugs are legal, overdosing is considered as drug abuse as the medicine is only healthy and helpful when taken in the required amount with the permission of a doctor. Other forms of drug abuse entail the use of substance that is either discouraged by healthcare association or illegalized by authorities. The users may use the drugs in order to feel a rush of energy or appear calm than normal. Drug abuse is a problem that affects the users, their close relatives and the society they live in (Barnard, 2007). There are different types of drugs that are abused ranging from extremely
West Virginia has one of the highest rates for prescription drug abuse, and overdose in the nation. In order to change this it is important to understand what pharmacists do, their role in prevention, and the severity of prescription drug abuse. Pharmacists are known to dispense prescription drugs to patients and inform them about their use; However, one aspect of their career most people overlook is that Pharmacists must keep a sharp eye out for criminals looking to abuse these prescribed drugs.
The use of drugs is a controversial topic in society today. In general, addicts show a direct link between taking drugs and suffering from their effects. People abuse drugs for a wide variety of reasons. In most cases, the use of drugs will serve a type of purpose or will give some kind of reward. These reasons for use will differ with different kinds of drugs. Various reasons for using the substance can be pain relief, depression, anxiety and weariness, acceptance into a peer group, religion, and much more. Although reasons for using may vary for each individual, it is known by all that consequences of the abuse do exist. It is only further down the line when the effects of using can be seen.