Prescription drug mayhem and rural America

Robert Bowman

doi:10.22605/rrh2185

Abstract

Rural areas have a number of characteristics that facilitate greater awareness of health problem areas, such as drug abuse. In a forthcoming Rural and Remote Health publication, rural pharmacists and practitioners acting at the local level identified drug abuse, doctor shopping, early refills, and drug shortages as major problems. Living in a rural location can magnify the impact of these problems.

Highlights

Addiction problems in America are increasing and rural areas are greatly affected
Massive marketing campaigns have contributed to the widespread availability of pain medications
Endo Pharmaceuticals is reformulating Opana® to reduce its abuse potential in areas such as ability to inject the drug[2]. It will take more than simple changes in formulations to impact the overall abuse problem

Summary

Introduction

Addiction problems in America are increasing and rural areas are greatly affected. Drug problems have often been linked to illegal drug manufacture and distribution; the recent increases involve drugs that are manufactured by leading drug manufacturers and prescribed by physicians. National data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network indicates rapid increases in abuse and misuse of prescription drugs[1]. Misdirected narcotic pain killers, stimulant medications, and antidepressants result in more and more emergency room visits and worse.

Results

Conclusion