The topic being addressed in this paper is prescription drug abuse. It entails using prescription medication not authorized by the prescribing physician. Anything from using a friend’s prescription pain reliever for a backache to getting high by snorting or injecting crushed pills is considered prescription drug abuse. Opioid painkillers, anti-anxiety medications, sedatives, and stimulants are among the most often mishandled prescription pharmaceuticals. The topic being addressed is vital because addiction to any drug, including those with a valid prescription, alters brain function and affects a person’s daily body functioning. This simultaneously affects their capacity for self-restraint and sound decision-making, which is compromised by the alterations in their brain. The problem identified is that when physicians make a prescription, the drugs end up being used by unauthorized people or in an unauthorized manner. This presents a dilemma where it is a legal act for physicians to prescribe drugs, yet people want to take these drugs even when they are not sick. The impacts of abusing these drugs are significant and directly impact nursing practice. Opioids, the commonly abused drugs, especially among teenagers, lead to changes in mood and behavior, impaired cognition, respiratory issues, and maybe mortality. These grievous healthcare outcomes should be contained to maintain the pursuit of a healthy society as a goal of the nursing profession. This scholarly paper provides evidence on findings from the literature articles earlier identified prescription drug abuse with a focus on opioids. There is a need for healthcare professionals to establish ways through which they practice within the law by prescribing drugs to those in need. At the same time, it is still limiting access to drugs that could potentially lead to addiction or elements of misuse.
Article Analysis
Reducing the likelihood of prescription opioid overdoses among young people requires strict adherence to safe prescribing standards. Older persons have been the primary focus of research into prescription drug overdose and opioid prescribing practices. Aiming to shed light on prescribing trends associated with prescription opioid overdoses in young adults and adolescents, Chua et al. (2020) published a paper on the subject. In this study, 249 individuals experienced overdose on 255 person-days. Overdose risk increased with each step up in the opioid dosage category for daily use. Use of either extended-release or long-acting opioids, in addition to concurrent use of benzodiazepines, was found to increase the risk of overdose compared to non-use. This article presents an ethical perspective identifying opioids as one of the most widely given drugs to both teenagers and adults. Jones et al. (2020) found that there is a significant rate of overdose cases and prescription opioid usage. Based on the findings of this study, young adults and adolescents who use opioids may be less likely to overdose if their doctors prescribe the lowest effective dosage every day, do not give them both opioids and benzodiazepines at the same time, and stick to short-acting opioids. Previous opioid safety studies, including older persons, have shown results that are generally in line with this one.
Compared to other age groups, teenagers are more likely to abuse opioids. These findings demonstrate a problem with the upbringing of children and suggest a culture where ethical standards are widely compromised. Drug addiction at early stages of life demonstrates unethical behaviors among adolescents, which pose significant healthcare challenges in life. According to Jones et al. (2020), there is a higher chance of drug use starting in the early years of life, which leads to negative consequences associated with substance use. To analyze patterns and trends in the use of substances by young people, the research published by Jones et al. (2020) found that a significant number of high school kids in the United States currently use marijuana, abuse prescription opioids, and drink alcohol. Schepis et al. (2020) estimated the occurrence of drug use, both current and over one’s life, among students who currently report being addicted to prescription opioids. The estimation was based on data from 2019. In addition, they assess the frequency of drug usage and the co-occurrence of these substances. The results emphasize the need for more preventative policies, programs, and practices based on solid evidence. These efforts should focus on lowering risk factors and enhancing protective factors to address drug use among young people. It is also essential to continue existing activities to address the opioid crisis.
The opioid crisis in the US poses an urgent public health issue. An individual’s susceptibility to substance usage is most prevalent throughout youth and the period of transitioning into adulthood. Bonar et al. (2020) emphasize the need to focus preventative efforts on that specific location to reduce the rates of opioid use and the associated deaths and illnesses. To effectively prevent prescription opioid overdoses in kids and young adults, we must identify strategies to reduce the likelihood of overdose when prescribing opioids to this demographic. Based on the findings of this study, potential recommendations might include using the lowest effective dosage daily, avoiding the combination of prescription opioids and benzodiazepines, and relying on short-acting opioids. Also, when it comes to prescription opioids, practitioners should take extra precautions to prevent overdoses in cases where mental health and drug use issues are prevalent in teenagers and young adults, according to the findings.
Implications for Nursing
The abuse and nonmedical utilization of prescription drugs is a substantial concern in the field of American public health. Generally, individuals adhere to their recommended medication regimen. However, 52 million Americans have abused their prescription at some point (Bonar et al., 2020). According to Chua et al. (2020), a significant number of high school seniors reported taking OxyContin in 2010, and a similar number reported nonmedical usage of Vicodin in the prior year. Because of this, these medicines are among the most misused substances among teenagers. Because nurses are recognized as being in a crucial position to control the amount of pharmaceuticals patients have access to, nursing practice is at the center of issues around prescription drug misuse.
There are several negative health consequences, including addiction, that can result from abusing specific prescription medications. These include opioids, CNS depressants, and stimulants. About 14% of people who said they used prescription medicine for something other than medical purposes in the preceding year satisfied the criteria for addiction or misuse (Bonar et al., 2020). Reasons for the increasing rate of prescription drug addiction differ by gender and age group, but one of the most probable is the increased availability of these drugs. From the early 1990s onward, there has been a meteoric rise in the number of prescriptions for those particular drugs. Opioids can only be safely mixed with other medications when directed to do so by a doctor. They can produce potentially fatal respiratory depression when used with other drugs that slow the central nervous system, including alcohol, antihistamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, or general anesthetics.
Adolescent and young adult prescription opioid abuse prevention programs need to be flexible enough to accommodate their unique usage patterns, life situations, and levels of dependence. Overdose prevention efforts should target opioid usage for both legitimate and illicit purposes (Bhatia et al., 2020). Think about the correlation between opioids and suicide; mental health is another essential factor to consider. Cognitive behavioral therapy and other behavior modification theories should inform treatments in keeping with the positive, short interventions already discussed. As part of patient care, it is crucial to curb or eliminate the misuse of prescription drugs. Although it may be necessary, healthcare practitioners should not refrain from administering stimulants, central nervous system depressants, or opioid pain medications.
Summary
Finding evidence-based techniques to reduce the risk of overdose when prescribing opioids to young adults and adolescents is of the utmost importance in the fight against prescription opioid overdoses. Some possible tactics suggested by this research include utilizing the smallest effective dosage each day, not administering opioids and benzodiazepines at the same time, and depending on opioids with a short half-life. Before prescribing opioids, practitioners should thoroughly evaluate teens and young adults for drug use and mental health issues. In cases where these illnesses are evident, practitioners should consider instituting heightened steps to reduce the risk of overdose. Substance abuse, including addiction, is more likely to result from nonmedical use of prescription medications. Prescription drug misuse may be prevented by the combined efforts of pharmacists, patients, and doctors.
References
Bhatia, D., Mikulich-Gilbertson, S. K., & Sakai, J. T. (2020). Prescription opioid misuse and risky adolescent behavior. Pediatrics, 145(2). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-2470
Bonar, E. E., Coughlin, L., Roche, J. S., Philyaw-Kotov, M. L., Bixler, E. A., Sinelnikov, S., Kolosh, A., Cihak, M. J., Cunningham, R. M., & Walton, M. A. (2020). Prescription opioid misuse among adolescents and emerging adults in the United States: A scoping review. Preventive Medicine, 132, 105972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105972
Chua, K. P., Brummett, C. M., Conti, R. M., & Bohnert, A. (2020). Association of opioid prescribing patterns with prescription opioid overdose in adolescents and young adults. JAMA Pediatrics, 174(2), 141-148. Doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.4878
Jones, C. M., Clayton, H. B., Deputy, N. P., Roehler, D. R., Ko, J. Y., Esser, M. B., … & Hertz, M. F. (2020). Prescription opioid misuse and use of alcohol and other substances among high school students—Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2019. MMWR Supplements, 69(1), 38. https://doi.org/10.15585%2Fmmwr.su6901a5
Schepis, T. S., Klare, D. L., Ford, J. A., & McCabe, S. E. (2020). Prescription drug misuse: Taking a lifespan perspective. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 14, 1178221820909352. https://doi.org/10.1177/1178221820909352
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