More Info on PDM or Prescription Drug Misuse

Prescription medication misuse –accurately called “misuse” or PDM – by adolescents, early adults and mature adults is a mounting issue in California and the country.

Prescription medications that are misused or taken for non-medical motives may change brain activity and cause addiction. Of course, OxyNEO is a frequently misused medication but there are many others that fall into the following categories:

– opioids (regularly given to relieve discomfort)

– central nervous system depressants (regularly given to relieve anxiety and sleep conditions)

– stimulants (given to relieve narcolepsy, ADHD, and obesity).

Continuing usage of opioids may lead to physical need and dependence. Used in excessive quantities, stimulants may lead to habitual usage, paranoia, fatally elevated body fevers, and irregular heartbeat.
In 2006, 16.2 million Americans had used a prescription tranquilizer, pain reliever, sedative, or stimulant for non-medical reasons at minimum on …

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California at Risk of Losing Narcotic Painkiller Monitoring System

In 2009, California Governor Jerry Brown announced a statewide database system designed to curb the illegal sale and distribution of prescription drugs like OxyContin and Vicodin. More than 40 states now have similar systems in place, but according to a recent article in The New York Times, California’s system seems destined to fail.

The purpose of a drug monitoring database like CURES (Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System) is to allow pharmacists to look up the prescription histories of customers and refuse to fill prescriptions for individuals who appear to be abusing drugs. The database can also be used by physicians to determine if a patient has visited other doctors to obtain multiple prescriptions.
According to The New York Times, one of the fundamental problems with CURES is that enrollment in the system is optional. The Medical Board of …

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