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The Role Of Public Health In Prescription Drug Abuse

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For years now, Public health has played an important role in the healthcare world. Public health refers to “the science and art of preventing disease, extending life and promoting health through organized efforts and educated choices of society, organization’s, public and private communities and individuals (APHA, 2015). In 2015, public health has dominated the nation in bringing together the top and most important public issues. Prescription drug abuse, and misuse is developing into a huge epidemic in the United States and all around the world. According to Esworthy, J (2015). “An estimated 2.4 million Americans have used prescription drugs non-medically, according to results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.” The issue …show more content…

Additionally, opioid drugs, which are controlled pain reliever drugs, are prescribed to patients that are in need of special medical attention for intense pain. Opioid analgesics are centrally involved in prescription drug abuse and overdose; the situation is further complex because of the often-unmet need for sufficient pain treatment. The following paragraphs will discuss management strategies that will address and enhance public health in prescription drug abuse and misuse of opioid drugs, and recommendations for improvement.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is discussing strategies with partners at the federal, state and local levels to design polices and programs to decrease prescription drug abuse and improve the world’s health. They came up with eight strategies that will target ways to improve drug abuse in public health, which are: 1) surveillance, 2) drug abuse prevention, 3) patient and public education, 4) provider education, 5) clinical practice tools, 6) regulatory and oversight activities, 7) drug abuse treatment, and 8) overdose prevention initiatives . Surveillance is a strategy that will target the most impacted populations of drug abuse, after finding these groups they well get special education on drug abuse and offer programs …show more content…

Second, drug abuse prevention, patient and public education, and provider education and clinical practice tools are all included in this strategy because preventing dangerous or inappropriate use of prescription drugs is the most effective way to avert negative consequences such as overdose deaths (Department of Health & Human Services, 2013). Before someone is prescribed opioid medication, the prescriber or medical staff should give patients brochures on these medications informing them the risks that can be obtained by taking these drugs. Addiction of these types of medications is very common, and can lead to long-term problems if not will informed. These medications are also not to be taken with any type of alcohol beverage because it enhances the effect of the medication, or driving under the influence of these medications can also be an enormous drawback. Furthermore, regulatory and oversight activities is an abundant strategy to support opioid drug safety and assure that clinical practices occur within suitable standards of care. According to Department

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