Abuse of Drugs Prescription in a Primary Care and Its Prevention - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages... As a result, medical practitioners and their respective patients have been in a constant limbo as to the trend that may bridge their status quo to future developments. This then has often resulted in the usage of narcotics primarily intended for malignant pain to chronic pain associated to either non-malignant cancer or even to some extent, primary care (Schneider, 1998).    According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the improper prescription and usage of drugs has remarkably increased from 2008 to 2009 (Cullen et al., 2009). From an over-all rate of 8.0% in 2008 for individuals aged 12 and above, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) noted a 0.7% increase in 2009. The Survey maintained that the significant increase is attributable to the prevalent usage of marijuana in teens and partly to the loose prescription of these narcotics of health practitioners to their patients.   Abuse of Prescription of Narcotics in Primary Care   Serious Threat of Opioid Abuse In the medical field, pain has been categorized in two. That is, the pain associated with malignant cancer on the one hand, and the pain allied with non-malignant cancer and other chronic pain. ...
Following the medical prescription of opioid analgesics, misuse and abuse of the said narcotic have been the concomitant consequences. That is, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2009 Report) and the Drug Abuse Warning Network (2010), the United States is now faced with an alarming threat of opioid abuse. Chronic Non-Cancer Pain in Primary Care and Use of Opioids It is estimated that about 50 million Americans experience non-cancer chronic pain and a significant 41% of that population or approximately 20 million patients state that their prescriptions do little to alleviate the pain (Becker et al. 2011). Chronic pain associated with conditions other than cancer is usually treated in primary care clinics (Cullen et al., 2009). Extent of Opioid Misuse in Primary Care and Causes   Von Korff, Kolodny, Deyo and Chou (2011) stated that empirical evidence that would ascertain the degree of drug abuse and misuse among primary care patients are not available, but the surveys conducted to that effect have significantly shown the frequency of prescription ranges from a low of 4% to a notable 26%. However, this increase in opioid misuse and abuse is not singularly attributed to its widespread recognition (Wilsey et al., 2009). Primary Care Givers’ Need for Adequate Knowledge on Preventing Opioid Misuse The widespread abuse of opioid pain suppressants is not to be singularly attributed to the medical acceptance given to the said drug. Salloum (2010) stresses the importance of the said drug and maintains that the public should not let certain consequences of its prescription to obscure its advantages. However, certain parameters must be enacted so as to delimit and control its use and somehow combat the abuse and misuse ...Download file to see next pagesRead More