Title of the Study s of the study Affiliations and organizations PRES vffdf

1. Title of the Study s of the study Affiliations and organizations PRES vffdf PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS: Margaret Dewar, RN, BSN, CNA Alfred University MPA Capstone Project 2012 FACES OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSERS Most medications are obtained by taking it from the medicine cabinet or from family or friends. Introduction Findings Prescription drug abuse occurs when a medication is used in a manner other than what it was prescribed for, or when used by a person for whom it was not intended. There is an increase of prescription drug misuse occurring in our population. In particular, Oxycontin and codeine pain medication called Opiods, as well as Adderall and Ritalin which are Stimulants used to treat attention deficit disorders (ADHD). Students are using the drugs to feel good and as a study aid to obtain better grades. They do not realize that there are dangerous consequences associated with this practice. Abuse of prescription stimulants including Adderall were higher at northeastern colleges and schools with more competitive admission standards. Adderall has been identified as being one of the primary prescription stimulants used illicitly by college students and was found to be abused at a rate three times higher than that of Ritalin. The majority of students who admitted to illicitly using Adderall claimed that they only used it during finals or when work unexpectedly piled up. It is fittingly named the “study drug”. Students in the North east abused medications at a higher rate in colleges with more competitive admission standards. As many as 40 percent of college students have taken prescription drugs not prescribed to them. Almost all prescription drugs involved in overdoses come from prescriptions originally; very few come from pharmacy theft. However, once they are prescribed and dispensed, prescription drugs are frequently diverted to people using them without prescriptions. More than three out of four people who misuse prescription painkillers use drugs prescribed to someone else. Purpose and Hypothesis Results Given the pressures associated with gaining a college education it is hypothesized that college students are more likely to abuse prescription drugs to obtain better grades. This study looked at the prevalence of prescription drug abuse among college students and the manner in which they obtain the drugs. It is becoming the leading cause of fatal overdoses, exceeding both heroin and cocaine overdoses (NSDUH, 2010). These overdose deaths now outnumber traffic fatalities in this population as the leading cause of accidental death (NSDUH, 2010). The purpose is to evaluate the manner and extent of the issue. More than sixty-one percent of undergraduate college students with a prescription sold or gave the medication to their peers. In NY State there has been an 82% increase in abuse of pain medications with a 57% increase in hospital admissions in Nassau County and 40% in Suffolk County. There were 90 deaths in Nassau alone, which has tripled since 2004 (Newsday, 2012). Medications are easily obtained from family or friends , or symptoms faked to obtain prescriptions. Students do not believe that there is a health risk, because they are not street drugs, even though they have the same effect on the body as street drugs. The pain medications are just as dangerous and addictive as street drugs and lead to overdose and death. As discussed at the conference, Governor Cuomo has signed Legislation to help New York State Fight Prescription Drug Abuse and will create a prescription monitoring system. • Chart or graphic Materials and Methods A systematic review of the literature was completed looking at therates of misuse of prescription drugs in the college population aged 18 – 24 years old. The focus was on stimulant medications and pain medications and the methods used to obtain the medications. The reasons given for abusing the medications was examined as well as any particular characteristics of those using the medications. A conference discussing prescription medication abuse was attended and the speaker was interviewed. The speaker spoke about the prevalence of the abuse in teenagers and young adults She also shared that the State will be developing a tracking system and will conduct a study about the issue. Conclusions The literature suggests that college students are misusing and abusing prescription medication at an increasingly alarming rate, As high as forty percent. It was found that non medical use of prescription stimulants is more prevalent in colleges located in particular regions of the United States and in certain types of colleges. Abuse is also higher among certain ethic groups and with students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. They are relatively easy to obtain and students believe there is some benefit to using them to help them to study and improve their grades which has lead to the increasing rates of use and abuse. Bibliography Roy, Y,. (2012, January 11). Epidemic Proportions. Newsday, pp. A2, A3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, NSDUH Series H-41, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 11-4658. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2010.