Is Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise?

Introduction to prescription drug abuse

Prescription drug abuse refers to using prescription medications in a way not intended by the prescribing healthcare provider. This includes misusing opioids, sedatives (such as benzodiazepines), and stimulants for their psychoactive effects, taking higher doses than prescribed, or using someone else’s prescription medicine. In recent years, the United States has experienced a sharp increase in overdose deaths and concerning trends around prescription drug misuse, especially with opioid medications.

Prevention strategies are crucial in addressing this growing problem. Tools such as prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), patient education, and safe prescribing practices have become essential. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have outlined clear recommendations to support safer opioid prescribing.

At Promises Dallas-Fort Worth, we provide compassionate and effective help for prescription drug abuse in Texas. Our specialized programs are designed to support individuals struggling with prescription drug misuse, whether dealing with opioid medications, sedatives, or stimulants. Learn more about our prescription drug addiction treatment in Texas and take the first step to reclaim your life today.

Controlled substances and prescription drug abuse

Controlled substances are drugs that are regulated by federal law due to their potential for abuse and dependence. These are classified into Schedules I–V by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA):

• Schedule I drugs: This classification is for drugs that are considered to have no medical use and a high potential for abuse, such as heroin. They are illegal under federal law.
• Schedule II drugs: Includes prescription opioids (like oxycodone), stimulants, and some other medications with high abuse potential but which also have important medical uses, such as chronic pain relief.
• Schedule III – V drugs: Each successive category represents a decreased risk profile and misuse potential, while still being federally regulated to some degree.

The DEA publishes a complete list of controlled substances.

Is prescription drug abuse really on the rise?

Some prescription drug abuse has increased in recent years, though trends vary by drug class. According to the CDC and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the number of overdose deaths involving prescription opioids more than quadrupled from 1999 to 2017.

While there has been some progress since then in reducing inappropriate prescribing, the misuse of opioids, benzodiazepines, and stimulants continues to affect millions of Americans each year. In 2022, over 80,000 overdose deaths involved opioids, around 15,000 of which included prescription painkillers. Overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines peaked in 2021 at 12,866, but remained close to 11,000 in 2023. The number of prescriptions written for stimulants has risen in recent years, suggesting greater misuse potential, with around 1/4 of users reporting misuse in a recent study.

The bottom line: while efforts to control prescribing have slowed some misuse, the overall impact of prescription drug abuse remains high and continues to place individuals and communities at risk.

Risks associated with prescription drug abuse

Even short of overdose, prescription drug abuse and nonmedical use can have serious health consequences, including:

• Dependence and addiction: Continued misuse of prescription drugs alters brain chemistry, which can quickly lead to physical dependence or opioid use disorder.
• Organ damage: Long-term misuse can seriously harm the liver, heart, kidneys, or brain, especially when combined with alcohol or other substances.
• Mental health complications: There is a strong link between prescription drug misuse and mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Naloxone—a medication that can rapidly reverse opioid overdose—is available in most states and is an important public health intervention for prescription opioid misuse.

Misuse of different drug classes

Opioid painkillers, benzodiazepines, and prescription stimulants are the most commonly misused prescription drugs:

• Opioid medications: These are the leading contributors to the opioid epidemic. Misusing prescription opioids raises the risk of opioid overdose and can be a gateway to heroin use, which is even riskier due to unregulated production and frequent contamination with other substances.
• Benzodiazepines and sedatives: These drugs can cause dangerous sedation, dependence, and risk of respiratory collapse, especially when combined with other medications and drugs.
• Stimulants: Nonmedical use of stimulants prescribed for ADHD can cause heart problems, mental health issues, or addiction.

Regulatory controls such as PDMPs (prescription drug monitoring programs) are key policy interventions to help prevent nonmedical use and prescription drug abuse.

Vulnerable populations

Certain groups are at higher risk of prescription drug abuse, substance misuse, and negative health consequences. Young adults ages 12 to 25 are more likely to experiment with nonmedical use due to peer pressure, stress, or access to leftover medicines. Older adults, on the other hand, are often at risk due to chronic pain, multiple prescriptions, and potential interactions between many medications.

People with mental health conditions or other substance use disorders are at higher risk, including due to self-medication. Patients with chronic pain on long-term opioid therapy, even when initially using as prescribed, are at a higher risk of opioid misuse and subsequent drug abuse.

Causes and contexts of prescription drug abuse

Prescription drug misuse occurs for a variety of reasons:

• Easy access: Many people misuse prescription medicine found in home medicine cabinets or given by friends.
• Poor patient education: Not understanding the dangers of nonmedical use or the correct way to take medications.
• Mental health self-medication: Using prescription drugs outside of a medical prescription to cope with anxiety, depression, or stress.
• Doctor shopping and drug diversion: Visiting multiple prescribers or pharmacies to obtain more prescriptions, and sharing or selling pills.
• Leftover or unused medicines: Not disposing of unneeded medications can enable misuse by others.
• Overprescribing and lack of PDMPs: When prescriptions are not carefully tracked or monitored, nonmedical use becomes more likely.

Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) help track the dispensing of controlled substances and limit unsafe patterns of prescription drug use.

Medication formulation, regulation, and monitoring

To reduce the risks associated with prescription drug abuse, government agencies and pharmaceutical manufacturers employ a combination of regulatory oversight and innovative medication formulations:

• Abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs): Some prescription medications are designed to be harder to crush, dissolve, or inject, helping to deter misuse, though they are not completely foolproof.
• FDA regulation: The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approves medications, issues black box warnings, and monitors for patterns of misuse.
• DEA scheduling: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies drugs under the Controlled Substances Act based on their potential for dependence and abuse.
• PDMPs oversight: State-level prescription drug monitoring programs track prescriptions and help enforce safe prescribing practices.

Pharmacists’ role in preventing prescription drug abuse

Pharmacists are a vital part of preventing prescription drug misuse. The educate patients about correct use, potential interactions, and risks. They also review a person’s prescription history before filling prescriptions for controlled substances and direct people to medication take-back programs for unused medicines to keep them out of circulation. Pharmacists can educate people about naloxone, including how to respond to opioid overdose and when naloxone may be needed.

Reducing harm from prescription drug abuse

Some things that healthcare providers generally do to reduce the risks and harms from prescription drug misuse include:

• Medication-assisted treatment (MAT): Medications like methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone help people with opioid use disorder reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
• Naloxone distribution and overdose response: Increasing public access to naloxone and training people how to use it are public health priorities.
• Safe prescribing practices: Setting dose limits, using PDMP data, and regularly reassessing need for opioid therapy minimize prescription opioid misuse.
• Patient education: Storing prescription medicine safely, disposing of unused medicines, and never sharing medications are key parts of prevention.

At Promises in Dallas-Forth Worth, our prescription drug addiction treatment services include medically informed care aimed at reducing harm and supporting lasting recovery from prescription drug addiction and other types of substance abuse. Our programs include dual diagnosis treatment, addressing substance use in tandem with mental health concerns for more effective addiction recovery.

Prescription drug abuse doesn’t have to continue

Prescription drug abuse is a real and rising threat in many communities, and overdose deaths have touched countless families. But prescription drug misuse does not have to define your future. With early identification, compassionate medical support, and modern interventions aimed at reducing harm, recovery is possible.If prescription drug use is spiraling or causing harm, reach out to Promises Dallas-Fort Worth today at 888.488.6153 or contact us online to begin your path to recovery.