Prescription Opiates Research Paper

Millions of people throughout the world are taking drugs on a daily basis. If you were to ask someone why they take prescription drugs, most people would be taking them for the right reason. However, it’s estimated that twenty percent of people in the United States alone have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons.1 Prescription drug abuse is a serious and growing problem that often goes unnoticed. Abusing these drugs can often lead to addiction and even death. You can develop an addiction to certain drugs that may include: narcotic painkillers, sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants.1 Prescription drugs are the most common abused category of drugs, right next to marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and

As we see the further progression of the opioid epidemic within the United States, pharmacists become the frontlines to recognizing and providing care for these patients. It is however difficult to provide care for a patient when even the professionals within the medical community have an associated stigma attached to the use of these drugs. Patients who have a need for these painkillers recognize this stigma, and by doing so decide to avoid consulting their doctors and do not seek the care which they need. They do this to avoid the discriminatory treatment they receive both within and on the outside of the healthcare system, and to avoid the legal repercussions associated with the misuse and abuse of these products1. It is therefore the pharmacists' job to avoid the stigmatization of these people and respect those who use these treatments for legitimate medical purposes.

The opioid epidemic has been the worst thing that has happened to our community or our country as a whole, much of which might have be prevented if doctor’s were not so quick to prescribe prescription after prescription of opioids on to their patients. According to Nora D. Volkow, Director, of the NIDA, The Federal government has provided restrictions on the over use of prescription medications and because individuals have developed dependence on the prescription opioids they resort to obtaining them illegally, and in some cases they are resorting to heroin for it is cheaper and easier to obtain (NIDA). Yes, these individuals have a choice to take them, and for a while they are alright, although as seen above the continued use can cause dependence which will cause withdrawal if they do not have these medications leading many to illegally obtaining and using these drugs. This is one reason one fights to see more treatment centers people can go, more harm reduction therapies that are going to help them become clean and live lives that are functional and socially

Opioid abuse is a crisis that is plaguing America, in 2015 there we an estimated 15,000 deaths due to prescription opioids*. People are dying, and families are being ripped apart, a radical change needs to occur in order to save lives. Although there are many ways to attempt to solve this problem, here are three solutions that could potentially save lives; decriminalize all drugs, limit prescribed painkillers, and provide access to Narcan (naloxone).

Opiate addiction is debilitating because it causes many behavioral and psychological effects. This drug is a strong pain reliever that if individuals begin to abuse it, it can cause overdose and even death. Opiate can lead to tolerance, which is the loss of control to distance oneself from a drug. Addicts will continue to use when they’re “fix” is low. Opiates do a lot of harm and is truly debilitating.

Other measures have been taken to ensure that the Opioid crisis is taken care of, such as "Drug-Control Advocates who began working to ban all non-medicinal narcotics use. "(Katel826). "After solving disputes with pharmaceuticals makers and druggists, Congress also passed the Harrison act of 1914, the first federal law to regulate Opioids and other drugs." (Katel826) With the many actions taken to try to put an end to this Opioid crisis, nothing seems to make any drastic change. All the bans, acts, other precautions constantly are needing to be reevaluated or changed to try to keep up with the Opioid problem. With an unstable solution, the crisis will always be

Opiates, otherwise known as prescription painkillers, have become an enormous problem in the United States. Addiction, overdoses, and death are only a few of the problems caused by opiates. Painkillers can be prescribed to help lessen chronic pain, pain from surgery, pain from serious accidents, or pain from terminal diseases. Opiates are highly addicting and have become highly abused in the United States in the past few years. Prescription painkillers need to be banned in the United States because of the dangers they bring to the patients to whom they are being prescribed. The FDA needs to become more involved in the awareness of how dangerous these drugs are and place a ban on them.

The misuse and abuse of prescription medications in the United States remains high, but few people are aware of just how big the problem really is. According to ASAM American Society of Addiction Medicine, "Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the US, with 55,403 lethal drug overdoses in 2015. Opioid addiction is causing this epidemic, with 20,101 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers, and also overdose deaths relating to heroin". Opioids are drugs which are prescribed to relieve pain. With continued use, the pain-relieving effects lessen and pain can become worse, so the body can develop dependence on the use of opioid. Opioid dependence causes withdrawal symptoms, which makes it difficult to stop taking

Opiate overdose may cause significant failure to health, physical distress, breathing damage and increase mortality and morbidity. Vitamin D deficiency causes muscle aches, periodontal disease, osteomalacia and osteoporosis [6-10]. Low bone mass has also been reported in opioid-dependent individuals

Ouch! The dull, tingle of the pain has gradually escalated to a full on throttle that radiates pain in the lower back. When usually PM over the counter pills would easily make the pain disappear has been replaced by a small dosage of hydrocodone pill. Yet taking the opioid pill at nighttime can be easy for a good, restful sleep and just worry about the pain later the next day. A single dosage at night can be easily manage, for at least many people. A doctor’s advice and prescription to help chronic pain should be a patient’s responsibility, yet there are doctors who have been at fault for overdose deaths.

This study also discusses about Gender-specific aspects which should be taken into consideration to identify those group of people which are at highest risk specifically for abusing of prescription opioid. the best way to control this issue is Prevention and applying intervention efforts which will be the best cure Research shows that women represent a large and growing population of prescription opioid abusers (Cicero et al., 2008; SAMHSA, 2006 ;  Tetrault et al., 2008). Unlike for heroin, an equal or greater proportion of women appear to abuse prescription opioids (Kelly et al., 2008 ;  Simoni-Wastila et al., 2004). In some studies it shows the correlation etween abusing of the prescription medication and abusing of alcohol and the other type of drugs.

The main issue presented in this article is that current painkillers are highly addictive, and all have extremely risky side effects. This is leading an increasing amount of people each year to form a dependency for these drugs. Ultimately, resulting in more people dying every year from causes that include painkiller addiction also known as opioid addiction.

OPIOID TREATMENT: For patients attempting to detoxify from opioid addiction, methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone are frequently used. They act on the same receptors in the brain as heroin to suppress withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings.

You see on characters on TV shows and movies, and even real life, that struggle with addictions. Most of the time when you hear the term “drug addict” you automatically think of street drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, or LSD. Not too often do you hear a storyline of someone addicted to painkillers, but the reality of that type of abuse if very real. It has been said that an estimated 2.4 million Americans abused prescription painkillers in a year. This addiction has to have a starting point. A patient could go to the doctor because of a toothache. The doctor then may write a prescription for a simple prescription painkiller. That medication may have a side effect of a relaxing feeling, therefore when the patient experienced this they decided they wanted to have that feeling more. Eventually they will

Opiates are one of the most commonly-abused prescription drugs. The number of prescriptions written for opiates doubled from 1991 to 2013. Researchers believe that the ease of