Prescription Drug Abuse

Welcome to PT 635 Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems This is a wiki created by and for the students in the School of Physical Therapy at Bellarmine University in Louisville KY. Please do not edit unless you are involved in this project, but please come back in the near future to check out new information!!

Original Editors - Lauren Cotton & Erin Smith from Bellarmine University's Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems project.

Lead Editors - Your name will be added here if you are a lead editor on this page.  Read more.

Definition/Description

Prescription drug abuse occurs when someone uses a prescribed medication for purposes other than what it was intended for, use more than the dose prescribed by the physician, or continue prolonged use after the amount prescribed by the physician was taken. Abuse of prescription medications can produce serious adverse health effects, including addiction.

Prescribed drugs that are commonly abused in the healthcare system are narcotic painkillers. Narcotics are natural opioid drugs that can help to reduce pain, and can also promote drowsiness. Physicians commonly use narcotics to reduce a patient’s post-operative pain or to reduce anxiety and induce anesthesia prior to an operation (2). These drugs are also commonly prescribed to “enable individuals with chronic pain to lead productive lives.”

“Opioids are analgesic, or pain-relieving, medications. Studies have shown that properly managed medical use (taken exactly as prescribed) of opioid analgesics is safe, can manage pain effectively, and rarely causes addiction (3).” However, many people who are prescribed and taking opioids for a period of time may develop a physical dependence on the drug which could lead to abuse of the painkiller and will require medical supervision (3). Some examples of opioids that you may see commonly abused in the healthcare system are (3):
• Hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin)
• Oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin)
• Codeine
• Propoxyphene (Darvon)
• Meperidine (Demerol)
• Lortab (5)
• Dilaudid (5)
• Lorcet (5)
• Tylox (5)
• Percocet (5)
• Percodan (5)

Prevalence

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Characteristics/Clinical Presentation

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Associated Co-morbidities

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Medications

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Diagnostic Tests/Lab Tests/Lab Values

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Etiology/Causes

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Systemic Involvement

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Medical Management (current best evidence)

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Physical Therapy Management (current best evidence)

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Alternative/Holistic Management (current best evidence)

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Differential Diagnosis

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Case Reports/ Case Studies

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Resources

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Recent Related Research (from Pubmed)

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References

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