An Examination of Medical Dependence and Prescription Drug Abuse

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of medical dependence and prescription drug abuse, tracing its historical evolution from the early use of pain medications to its current status as a significant public health crisis. The paper explores the social and cultural factors contributing to the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, including lack of awareness, societal pressures, and cultural norms. It critically discusses the challenges associated with the issue, such as the rise of recreational abuse and the dangers of self-medication. The essay emphasizes the importance of educational campaigns and community-based approaches, including school and college-based screening and counseling programs, as well as restrictions on the wide-spread availability of prescription drugs, as potential solutions to address this complex problem. The author draws on a range of research to support their arguments and conclusions.

Running head: MEDICAL DEPENDENCE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE
Medical dependence and prescription drug abuse
Name of the student:
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Author note:

1MEDICAL DEPENDENCE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE
The right to optimal health care is considered to be one of the basic needs for each and
every individual, and the medical industry has advanced considerably improving itself drastically
to reach the remotest of corners with the availability of drugs. That is the reason why medicines
are available everywhere and costs for medication is within affordable limits for the most part
(Kirschner, Ginsburg & Sulmasy, 2014). However, with the availability of the prescription drugs
increasing multiple folds every day, the temptation for overuse on misuse has been escalating as
well. The misuse and abuse of prescription drug has emerged as one of the significant and
alarming Public Health issue of the current age (Hanson et. al., 2013). This paper will
demonstrate and explore the history of prescription drug abuse change, the structural and cultural
factors associated with it and Critical discussion of the issue at hand.
There has been a time where pain used to be a constant part of human life and a happy
nothing to help take away the pain. Ever since active components of different drugs were
extracted and the physician started giving out pain medication like morphine, the usage of these
drugs came with the excessive usage coupled with it (Maxwell, 2011). In the early 20th century
with the instant relief that these pain medications provided the soldiers and veterans became
quickly addicted to these pain relieving drugs, and the cycle of misuse and abuse of prescription
drugs began with it. Along with it the addiction to cocaine, heroin and other recreational drugs
escalated in the coming decade. In the mix 20th century, the truck specification outline began
and the availability of prescription drugs were restricted the uses only under the description of
the physicians or medical practitioners. However the list use and abuse of prescription drugs
continued even after the outline due to extreme left of compliance exploitation issues (Zosel et
al., 2013). As the prescription drug trade have been a profitable market, the issue of exploitation
and non compliance only escalated and the rate of abuse and misuse continue to rise until the late

2MEDICAL DEPENDENCE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE
20th century. However awareness about exploitation of prescription drugs began at the similar
time in the late 20th centuries, although the entry drug addiction campaigns by not successful as
expected due to the extreme lack of knowledge in the mass (Bhambra, 2007). Even today,
prescription drug continues to be one of the major public health problems all across the globe, as
prescription drugs are very easy to obtain and as the general knowledge in the mass about the
prescription drugs is that self medication is easy and harmless. The lack of knowledge in the
mass regarding the dangers and risks of self-medication has escalated the prescription drug
misuse further (Kantor et. al. 2014).
Considering the social factor associated with prescription drug abuse, there are a number
of factors to consider. First and foremost, the lack of awareness still persisting on the society
regarding the abuse and misuse of prescription drugs deserves first recognition (Zgierska, Miller
& Rabago, 2012). It has to be understood that the common idea in the society regarding
impressionable drugs that are prescribed by physicians is that these drugs are safe just because
they are prescribed by registered medical practitioners. Hence, the dangers of prolonged usage of
these pain medication or other drugs completely elude the mass, and these drugs are deemed safe
the common people continue to abuse and misuse it as per their preferences (Becker et al., 2008).
Now considering the impressionable youth and their connection with the prescription drug abuse
and misuse, we must not overlook that prescription drug addiction serves as the bonding
experience in certain groups of young children and in order to survive the non-addicted will also
start to abuse. Hence the social pressure and anxiety is one of the biggest Socio-cultural factors
contributing to prescription drug exploitation (Johnston, 2010). Considering the core cultural
factors, in communities where the prescription drug exploitation for recreational or relaxation
purposes are a norm, one aware individual will not be able to easily switch the sides and come

3MEDICAL DEPENDENCE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE
out of the addiction (Cerdá et al., 2012). It is one of the biggest contributors to early drug abuse
and exploitation. Hence it can be concluded that the most of the influencing elements in creating
the chaotic exploitation, are historical, social and cultural factors and only well planned and
timely strategies will be the only option to overcome this situation (Haffajee, Jena & Weiner,
2015).
The last element of the assignment is focused on the criticism of the issue, finding the
root cause behind the issue and determining the best solution to the problem. In this case
scenario, the main challenges include the lack of awareness in the mass about the risks and
adverse consequences associated with self medication and its direct impact on the rising
prescription drug addiction (Hernandez & Nelson, 2010). The awareness can only be generated
through extensive drug educational campaigning that will provide the common men and women
with the knowledge regrading the dangers of self-medication regarding dosage, administration
and wrong choice of drugs (McHugh, Nielsen & Weiss, 2014). Another significant challenge in
this scenario is the rise in recreational prescription drug abuse, especially in the young
generation. Awareness and proper education in the impressionable young generation regards the
lethal consequences of misusing and abusing recreational over the counter prescription drugs can
help reduce the pull of this addiction (Haegerich et. al., 2014). According to the social model of
health, any health care related issue can be solved by the social, cultural, and environmental
influence taking the assistance of community based approach. In this scenario is well taking
county scale actions like periodic screening and counselling for the young generation in schools
and colleges to ensure avoiding prescription drug abuse. Along with those actions like restricting
wide spread availability of the prescription drugs can also serve the purpose of ridding the young
generation of the pull of prescription drug abuse (Irvine et. al., 2014).

4MEDICAL DEPENDENCE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE
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