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Prescription Drug Abuse Research Papers

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“Over 249,000,000 prescriptions for opioids were written in 2013-enough for every adult in America to have a bottle of pills.” (Citation 2). Prescription painkiller abuse is a proportional epidemic in the United States today. 44 people in the U.S. die each day from an overdose in prescription painkillers 1. (Citation 1). For the reason that doctors are the ones that prescribe the medication and pharmacists are the ones that distribute the opioids, there are concerns that they are the ones at fault. However, there are questions about how the patients are the ones to blame for painkiller overdose. This is a serious conflict the nation is trying to figure out today. Overall, prescription painkiller abuse is a serious epidemic in America due to …show more content…
Notwithstanding, it seems like the right answer, some statistics show otherwise. From 1999 to present day, there has been a 300% increase in opioid prescription sales without an overall report of change in pain. (Citation 2). This statistic draws questions as to why there has been such an increase in sales of opioid medication without changes of pain. Some deliberate that doctors are prescribing too much, and not paying attention to their medical history. They may also believe they were not given thorough instruction for consuming the pain killers. When people abuse drugs, their system gets used to them and requires more. When they run out, they may feel like the painkillers are not working anymore, so they blame the doctor and demand more. The increase in dosage of painkillers at frequent rates is what is causing the abuse and overdose of patients who use painkillers. They believe that since the doctor prescribed, they are at fault for addiction and overdose. Prescription painkiller abuse in America is an enormous issue today because of the patient’s lack of self control to not take the proper amount prescribed. While some think doctors over prescribe opioids, it is the patient who controls how much of a substance they are acquiring, and if they honestly need it. Doctors are people too. They are not mind readers. Based on what the patient’s symptoms are and what

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