Substance Abuse Issues

It can be determined that the elderly seldom get drugs illicitly. As stated earlier, they usually get drugs by seeing multiple doctors. In addition to this, they stockpile prescribed medications over time, or getting medications from family members. This only contributes to the problems of the elderly. Often times, family members are reluctant to address the issues their elderly family member face.

In today's society people are quick to find easy and fast ways to make them feel better or reduce stress leading to long term health problems. Medication is designed to ease someone or somethings pain, but overusing a drug can result in side effects that can force someone to need more drugs to get better. Siri Carpenter believes that the use of multiple and unnecessary medication is escalating and frightening. “The use of multiple, often unnecessary medications — especially among older people — is an entrenched, escalating, frightening, and mostly unexamined problem in modern healthcare care,” (Carpenter 1). People find it easy to take

Specific purpose: To inform my audience about the growing problem of prescription drug abuse, some common drugs that cause abuse, and their effects and some common treatments.

Prescribed medication is on the rise in the United States. Particularly among the elderly as they are more inclined to be taking medications. According to the textbook, about thirty percent of people who are sixty-five or older take eight or more prescriptions daily. (Snyder, 62) With that comes an increase in medication misuse and abuse. The difference between the two has to do with the intentions or motivations the person has. Medication misuse is an unintentional or willful use of a medication in a way that differs from prescribed dose or intent. (Snyder, 61) The first example found in the textbook includes taking several unused antibiotics for strep throat from last years prescription, thinking the sore throat is strep throat. The second example is a person who takes a double dose of Tylenol, thinking the higher dose will clear the symptoms faster. The last example from the book is failing to take entire course of antibiotics prescribed for them. (Snyder, 61) On the other hand, medication abuse is deliberately taking a drug for non-medical reason. For example, taking a prescription medicine that was prescribed to someone else, taking the medicine in a different form such as snorting it, or taking a certain medicine with the intent to get high. Both medication abuse and misuse in the elderly population is of concern on the grounds that it can bring mental and physical debilitation. Older people misusing or abusing medications puts them at greater danger and may lead to

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 41(5), 848-858. In the article above, the authors observe the increase in prescription drug abuse in patients to alleviate chronic pain. This is amid widespread efforts that promote responsiveness and control of chronic pain. In the study, Goebel et al. (2011) use self-reported incidences in veterans, citing the causative factors to the abuse. A cross sectional quantitative analysis of the results is then carried out. In results, the authors find out that 35.3% of 343 veterans reported street drug use, alcohol use and prescription sharing in controlling pain. A number of behaviours were also associated with the abuse behaviour. This article provides relevant information concerning drug abuse among older individuals. Furthermore, it blends with the topic at hand giving methods in which the use can be mitigated. 3. Hall, P. B., Hawkinberry, D., & Moyers-Scott, P. (2010). Prescription Drug Abuse & Addiction: Past, Present and Future:The Paradigm for an Epidemic. West Virginia Medical Journal, 106(2010), 25-30. Hall et al. (2010) liken the level of drug abuse in the United States to an epidemic, citing the need for exploratory research in the

Although more elderly people seek treatment for alcohol abuse, it is not the most commonly abused substance among this population. Compared to adolescents and younger adults, illegal drug use among older adults is rare, however prescription drug abuse is common. Over 1/3 of all prescription medication sold in the United States is used by elder individuals, and most of the prescribed drugs have high abuse potential (Doweiko, p. 256). Consequently, more people over the age of 65 abuse prescription drugs than any other substance. Because of age-related medical problems, undiagnosed mood disorders (such as chronic depression, often magnified by social factors such as loss of peers or a spouse), and changed body chemistry, this population is particularly vulnerable to the effects of and the abusive properties of pharmaceuticals. These factors combined with the fact that many elderly adults have multiple prescriptions that can interact with each other and compound the risk for addiction. Out of all the drugs prescribed to older adults, sedatives and benzodiazepines potentially cause the greatest concern. Benzodiazepines are prescribed to older adults more than any other age group. According to the Center for Substance Abuse

According to an article written by Anna Gorman of Health Leaders Media, the use of prescription drugs is a growing concern. The article mentions Lola Cal, a patient in a geriatric unit in Santa Monica, California whose medical records show that she is on 36 different medications. Although people born from 1946 to 1964, known as the baby boomer generation, only make up 16% of the U. S. population, this generation accounts for one-third of prescription drug use. Many elderly patients take several medications to treat chronic illnesses and raise their chances for serious side effects and dangerous drug interactions. Dr. Maristela Garcia, director of the inpatient geriatric unit at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica states that polypharmacy is “America’s other drug problem.

Prescription drug abuse has been around since doctors started prescribing medication, but widespread prescription drug abuse and addiction has only surfaced in the last 20 years or so. Unfortunately because these drugs are continued to be abuse widely, there are concerns for physicians who are legitimately prescribing these medications to patients who truly need them. However there are doctors who recklessly prescribe these drugs to unknowing patients who form addictions to them. Prescription medications commonly abused include opioids often prescribed to treat pain, central nervous system depressants used to treat anxiety, and stimulants used for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) as well as some sleeping disorders.

According to results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an estimated 2.4 million Americans used prescription drugs non medically for the first time within the past year. This statistic averages to approximately 6,600 new people per day who are taking prescription drugs that were not prescribed to them, or are not needed to treat a serious condition anymore. More than one-half of the 2.4 million people taking prescription drugs for the first time are women, ,and about a third were aged 12-17. Prescription drug abuse is highest among young adults, ages 18-25. According to the NSDUH the most commonly abused prescription drugs are opiods, CNS depressants, and stimulants.

The elderly population is the generation most treated by healthcare professionals, so it stands to reason that drug abuse within the elderly presents a much higher risk than drug abuse among younger generations. Ignoring the problem leads to diminished quality of life and a less attentive healthcare system. Sadly, prescription drug abuse is a silent epidemic among the elderly population and it is a growing problem. With proper attention and diagnosis, there can be a reduction in injuries, such as hip fractures from falling, excessive hospitalizations, and even untimely death.

The substance-related disorders are composed of two groups: the substance-use disorders (dependence and abuse) and the substanceinduced disorders (intoxication and withdrawal). Other substanceinduced disorders (delirium, dementia, amnesia, psychosis, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, sexual dysfunction, and sleep disorders) are included in the chapters with which they share symptomatology (e.g., substance-induced mood disorders are included in Chapter 6; substance-induced sexual dysfunction is included in Chapter 10, etc.).

In order to reduce this potential negative inevitability, closer attention must be dedicated to current elder substance abuse. The issue of substance abuse by this elderly population is a problem that will potentially affect many segments of society. Not only is there a critical need for clinicians to develop skills and strategies necessary to deal with the range of issues that can influence substance abuse

Problems related to substance addiction are an important cause of morbidity in the population aged 65 and above, especially the abuse of prescription drugs and legal substances. A lack of evidence-based studies and tailored treatment options for the aging population is evident. Appropriate and effective health-care is an important goal to improve health-related quality of life of elderly people. Lack of education in the older population leads to misuse and abuse of prescription medications.

People are often surprised to learn that elderly people abuse drugs and alcohol at extremely high rates. In fact, elderly substance abuse has become something of an unknown epidemic in the country, impacting an ever-increasing number of people. Sadly, this problem is often ignored or misunderstood and elderly people with addictions rarely get the help they need.

Increasing age and related comorbidities have resulted in excessive use of drugs causing increased incidence of adverse effects, inappropriate medication use and increased health care costs1. Polypharmacy has become a significant problem in caring patients. A 10 year old study in finland from 1980 to 1990s showed that the use of polypharmacy increased more than three times2. Major polypharmacy (>5 drugs) prevalence in south wales and Netherlands