Abuse of Prescription Drugs: Not What the Doctor Ordered (2009)

Introduction

Prescription drug abuse is rapidly becoming a nationwide crisis. These medications are easily accessible and simple to distribute, and Tennessee has been tackling this problem for years. The state once held the unfortunate title of having the highest rate of prescription drug abuse in the country. That trend is changing, thanks to dedicated efforts and strong collaboration. In this one-hour MCTFT broadcast from 2009, people from Tennessee share their firsthand experiences with prescription drugs. Discover how this community identified the issue and took action. You’ll hear insights from coalition leaders, law enforcement, healthcare professionals, pharmacists, insurance representatives, and more.

Quotes

“The most abused categories of drugs are pain relievers, stimulants, sedatives and tranquilizers, but any prescription drug can be abused and if combined with other drugs and substances the results can be tragic.”

“I just wish there was a way I could reach out to more people and teach them that lesson and remind them of the tragedies that can occur due to prescription drug abuse. You’ve got to prevent them from starting to prevent them from dying and that’s the bottom line: just don’t start it, just don’t go there.”

“The abuse of legal drugs is outpacing the use of illegal ones. Recent data from the Monitoring the Future Survey showed seven of the top 10 drugs High School seniors are misusing are prescription or over-the-counter medications. A 2007 study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported 5.2 million people aged 12 or older reported they used a prescription pain reliever, non-medically, in the past month. Many addicts say their habits began somewhat accidentally.”

“Prescription drugs shatter the image of who a drug dealer is and how to handle the crimes they commit. Sometimes it isn’t easy to spot. Prescription drug crimes are often subtle and not always obvious to law enforcement officers, who are more used to street crimes.”

“The one issue that is dealt with most is what they call doctor shopping … obtaining multiple prescriptions or overlapping prescriptions from multiple providers without the providers being aware of the other.”

“The state of Tennessee has established a prescription drug registry, where they feed all controlled prescriptions filled at pharmacies across the state for controlled substances into a central database and this database looks for people that are going to multiple doctors.”