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 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 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).
References:
Becker, W. C., Sullivan, L. E., Tetrault, J. M., Desai, R. A., & Fiellin, D. A. (2008). Non-medical use, abuse and dependence on prescription opioids among US adults: psychiatric, medical and substance use correlates. Drug and alcohol dependence, 94(1), 38-47.
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Irvine, J. M., Hallvik, S. E., Hildebran, C., Marino, M., Beran, T., & Deyo, R. A. (2014). Who uses a prescription drug monitoring program and how? Insights from a statewide survey of Oregon clinicians. The Journal of Pain, 15(7), 747-755.
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Zosel, A., Bartelson, B. B., Bailey, E., Lowenstein, S., & Dart, R. (2013). Characterization of adolescent prescription drug abuse and misuse using the Researched Abuse Diversion and Addiction-related Surveillance (RADARS®) System. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 52(2), 196-204.
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