{"id":3955,"date":"2023-08-01T10:33:22","date_gmt":"2023-08-01T10:33:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/?page_id=3955"},"modified":"2025-02-07T12:31:35","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T12:31:35","slug":"prescription-drugs","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/drugs\/prescription-drugs\/","title":{"rendered":"Prescription Drugs: Uses and Dangers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To better understand the growing prescription drug epidemic, it is important to be aware of how these drugs are misused and how they are classified.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prescription drugs are medications that require an authorization from a qualified doctor. The purpose of prescription drugs is to treat a wide variety of illnesses, ranging from mental health conditions to bacterial infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prescription rates in the United States have been\u00a0increasing<\/a>\u00a0since the 1990s, and prescription drug misuse continues to rise. To better understand this growing epidemic, it is important to be aware of prescription drug use, how these drugs are misused and how they are classified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Are Prescription Drugs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Prescription drugs<\/a> are regulated medications, and people must receive a medical prescription from a doctor to obtain them. These pharmaceutical drugs must be picked up from a licensed pharmacy that has received permission from a medical professional to dispense the medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prescription Drug Classes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has prescription drug laws that classify drugs into five groups. A drug\u2019s classification depends on its medical use and its potential for misuse or dependence. Most prescription drugs fall between Schedule II and IV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0prescription drug schedule<\/a>\u00a0includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schedule II<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

These are defined as drugs with a high potential for misuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence. Examples of Schedule II prescription drugs include Vicodin<\/a>, methadone<\/a>, oxycodone<\/a>, fentanyl<\/a>, Adderall<\/a> and Ritalin<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schedule III<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

These are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. An example of a Schedule III prescription drug is Tylenol with codeine<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schedule IV<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

These are defined as drugs with a low potential for misuse and low risk of dependence. Examples of Schedule IV prescription drugs include Xanax<\/a>, Valium<\/a>, Ambien<\/a>, and Tramadol<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prescription Drugs Dosage and Administration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Drug dosage and administration is different for each prescription. However, pharmacies attach labels to the bottles or packaging that give instructions on how to properly take the drug. The label may also provide instructions on things to avoid, such as operating heavy equipment or drinking alcohol<\/a> while taking the drug. It is important to follow these instructions to ensure safety and prevent dangerous side effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example of prescription instructions may be: \u201cTake 250 mg twice daily for two weeks. Do not drink alcohol.\u201d The instructions will provide the proper dose, how much to take, how often to take it and how long to take it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prescription mistakes<\/a> have sometimes occurred in clinics and hospitals. They rarely result in the death of a patient but can affect the safety and quality of care. Some mistakes include providing the wrong drug name, the wrong dose, the wrong frequency of dosing or the wrong route of administration. However, the invention of electronic charts has helped reduce errors that result from poor handwriting, and allow for errors to be found more quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Administration Methods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Prescription drugs can come in a variety of forms, but the most common forms are pills, tablets or oral suspensions (liquids). Skin patches are also possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prescription pills and tablets are taken orally and digested in the stomach. From there, they are absorbed into the bloodstream and act on their target organ or area of the body. If someone is misusing prescription pills<\/a>, they may crush them into a powder and snort it. They may also dissolve crushed pills or tablets in alcohol or water and inject the solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transdermal patches<\/a> are also used as a way to dispense medication into the body. For example, fentanyl is commonly administered through a patch<\/a> to prevent overdoses. Since fentanyl is 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine, the drug is released from the patch in small quantities and absorbed through the skin over a long period of time. Once absorbed, the drug can move into the bloodstream and act on its target in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many benefits to these patches. Since the drug is absorbed at a steady rate into the body, doses are applied much less frequently, so there\u2019s less to keep track of. Unlike some pills, a person can still take the drug with an upset stomach. However, prescription pain patches can become dangerous or cause an overdose if the patch has been broken, cut open or chewed. Wearing too many patches can also cause an overdose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prescription medications can also be given in a liquid form that is consumed orally or injected. Doses<\/a> are typically given in milliliters (mL), teaspoons (tsp) or tablespoons (tbsp). Liquid medications are typically prescribed to children who cannot swallow pills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are three main groups of commonly abused prescription drugs: central nervous system (CNS) depressants, opioids<\/a> and stimulants<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CNS depressants work by slowing brain activity, and they are used to treat a variety of seizure, panic and sleep disorders. Opioids are prescription pain medications typically used to treat moderate to severe pain after surgery or injury. These drugs have a high addiction potential and are some of the most commonly misused substances. Prescription stimulants are used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, a condition that causes someone to fall into a deep sleep uncontrollably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though each of these prescription drugs may have beneficial uses, they are often misused and can be found illegally without a prescription.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Street Names For Prescription Drugs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Instead of being sold under brand names, prescription drugs sold on the street may have \u201cstreet names\u201d<\/a> related to their effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples of depressants include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n