Prescription Drugs Misuse and Abuse

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Prescription Drugs: Misuse and Abuse

According to several national surveys, prescription medications such as those used to treat pain, attention deficit disorders and anxiety are being abused at a rate second only to marijuana among illicit drug users. The consequences of this abuse have been steadily worsening, as reflected in increased treatment admissions, emergency room visits, and overdose deaths.

As prescription drug abuse reaches epidemic proportions nationwide, Connecticut has developed an online reference guide for practitioners, medical professionals and law enforcement to assist in better understanding and combating the problem.

What is prescription drug abuse?

Prescription drug abuse is the use of a medication:

In a way other than as prescribed
For the experience or feelings elicited
Without a prescription

Commonly abused drugs

Commonly abused classes of prescription drugs include:

Opioids (for pain)
Central nervous system (CNS) depressants (for anxiety and sleep disorders), and
Stimulants (for ADHD and narcolepsy)
Steroids

Opioid abuse includes:

Codeine (Tylenol/Codeine®)
Morphine (MS-Contin®)
Methadone (Dolophine®, Methadose®)
Fentanyl ( Duragesic® )
Hydrocodone (Vicodin®)
Oxycodone (OxyContin®)
Oxymorphone (Opana®)
Propoxyphene (Darvon®)
Hydromorphone (Dilaudid®)
Meperidine (Demerol®)

Central nervous system depressant/sedative-hypnotic abuse (Benzodiazepines) includes:

Pentobarbital sodium (Nembutal®)
Diazepam (Valium®)
Alprazolam (Xanax®)
Clonazepam (Klonopin®)
Carisoprodol (Soma®)

Stimulant abuse includes:

Methylphenidate (Ritalin® and Concerta®)
Amphetamines (Adderall®)
Benzphetamine (Didrex®)
Dexmethylphenidate(Focalin®)
Amphetamine Salts (Adderall®)
Diethlproprion(Tenuate®)
Methylphenidate (Concerta® Metadate® and Ritalin®)
Phenditrazine (Bontril® and Prelu-2®)
Phentermine (Adipex®, Fastin® and Ionamin®)
Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine®)

Abuse of Anabolic Steroids:

Anabolic Steroids

Abuse of Designer Drugs (Bath Salts, K-2, NBOMe, Piperazines, Spice and Trytamines):

Designer Drugs

Medical Marijuana Information for Law Enforcement

Medical Marijuana