Pubdate: Thu, 08 Nov 2007
Source: Echo, The (TN Edu)
Copyright: 2007 The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Contact: http://www.utcecho.com/main.cfm?include=submit
Website: http://www.utcecho.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3100
Author: Joey Flis
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone)

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE PRODUCES ADVERSE EFFECTS

Prescription drug abuse is on the rise with college students and 
society as a whole, and online pharmacies have made prescription 
drugs more accessible, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Ramon Ryan, a medical review officer and doctor of internal medicine, 
said he believes that as a whole, "Our society has become more drug oriented."

Ryan said many people look to prescription drugs just to get through 
the day. "People will take amphetamines to stay awake all day then 
barbiturates at night to get to sleep," Ryan said.

Nancy Watts, director of the pharmacy technician program at 
Chattanooga State, said prescription drugs do not have the stigma of 
street drugs because they are believed to have less risk of 
contamination and are not "cooked at home" like many illegal street drugs.

But "Prescription drug abuse is the same as any drug abuse," Watts said.

Prescription Overindulgence

"More prescriptions are written in Tennessee than any other state," Watts said.

Beverly Hawkins, pharmacy laboratory technician at Chattanooga State, 
said, "Before they revamped Tenncare, the average amount of 
prescriptions per Tenncare patient was 27, which is a tremendous 
amount of drugs."

Nancy Badger, director of counseling and career planning at UTC, 
said, "Prescription drug use is a problem nationally, and thus it 
impacts our campus. It is never wise to take medication that is not 
prescribed specifically for you."

According to Watts, "Most prescription abuse starts out with 
legitimate prescriptions."

College students who abuse drugs often acquire prescription drugs by 
taking them from family members, Watts said. The drugs may have been 
prescribed for them for things like cancer, chronic long-term pain 
management, ADD or ADHD, Badger said.

Daniel Sims, a Chattanooga senior, said, "I think it [prescription 
drug abuse] is more common than people would assume."

Narcotics

Hydrocodone products are the most abused medications of all, Watts 
said. Loratab, Lorcet and Vicodin are popular brand names of these 
narcotics, she said.

"They are the number one prescribed drugs in the country," Watts said.

According to Ryan, doctors give out Loratab prescriptions so 
frequently in emergency rooms that they have been given the nickname 
"Vitamin L." He said addicts will fake injuries just so they can get 
a prescription.

Stimulants

According to Ray Flis, a pharmacist for CVS, another one of the main 
prescription drug types abused on college campuses is amphetamines, 
such as Adderall and Dexedrine, that are prescribed for ADD and ADHD patients.

He said for people who actually have these disorders, the medicines 
will make them calmer so they can focus, but for those who do not 
have the disorders, they have the opposite effect, making them hyper.

"Many college students frequently abuse these drugs close to test 
time so that they can pull all-nighters to study for tests," Flis said.

"Adderall is basically prescription meth," according to one UTC 
student who was formerly a user.

Ryan said many doctors prescribe amphetamines like candy. Many 
college students learn the symptoms of ADD and ADHD from their 
friends so they can trick doctors into giving them a prescription, he added.

"Many doctors will give prescriptions if someone looks out a window 
more than once," Ryan said.

Consequences Of Abuse

According to Watts, there are many problems that occur with abuse of 
prescription drugs. These include addiction, overdose, heart attack 
and stroke, as well as financial, social and personal problems.

Watts said many abusers like to combine drugs to get stronger effects 
in a shorter amount of time, which creates a "double whammy" effect 
and is actually harsher on health than taking the drugs individually.

She said prescription drugs react with other prescription drugs, 
over-the-counter medication, herbal supplements, street drugs and alcohol.

With time-release pills, such as Oxycontin, abusers grind them up to 
break through the safety time-release mechanisms, which causes many 
overdoses, according to Watts.

Campus Counseling Available

Badger said UTC students who wish to learn how abuse of prescription 
drugs is impacting them, may contact the Counseling and Career 
Planning Center at (423) 425-4438.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman