In the United States, there has been a rapid increase of Americans with a prescription for psychotropic medications. Pharmacutical companys are spending more on advertizing, as well as, influencing doctors to push their products on to more patients and in larger quantities. There has been much controversy raised about whether or not regular medical doctors have enough training to accurately prescribe psychotropic drugs to mental health patients verses psychiatrists; however, shouldn’t all doctors know everything about what they are prescribing before they precribe it? One aspect of prescriptions that some doctors many over-look, patients may not be aware of, and is a quickly growing problem in the United States is the potential for abuse of
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A recent study from the University of South Carolina found that 17 percent of college kids, or 1 in 6, misuses ADHD drugs(Williams, P.). ADHD meds are believed to improve academic performance; inversely however, there are no studies that show an increase in academic progress while abusing the medication without a prescription. “I think it’s easy for people to assume that ADHD medication gives my kid an unfair advantage, but what it gives him is a fighting chance.” says Ariel McGovern, a Florida mother of two children diagnosed with ADHD(Williams, P.). Stimulant meds such as Ritalin(Methylin) and Adderall(Amphetamine salts) are used in the treatment of ADHD in youths in elementary school all the way into adulthood, but it isn’t until adolescense that abuse becomes a major problem. Currently 8% of youths are diagnosed with ADHD and receive years of medications from their doctors and many end up abusing them. Not to mention that 1 in 10 patients are mis-diagnosed with this disorder and are taking unnessicary meds for it. The serious side effects from stimulant abuse includes perminate damage to blood vessels, heart attack, stroke, and even death in high doses(Dingfelder, S.).
With the abuse of medications, comes distribution and sales among friends and peers. Like stimulants, abused anti-anxiety meds are considered to the United States Government as Schedule Drug, which means it is illegal to possess them without a prescription. If caught with a single pill in possession with out a prescription can result in as much as a felony charge(Williams, P.). Leave the prescribing to the
A recent study from the University of South Carolina found that 17 percent of college kids, or 1 in 6, misuses ADHD drugs(Williams, P.). ADHD meds are believed to improve academic performance; inversely however, there are no studies that show an increase in academic progress while abusing the medication without a prescription. “I think it’s easy for people to assume that ADHD medication gives my kid an unfair advantage, but what it gives him is a fighting chance.” says Ariel McGovern, a Florida mother of two children diagnosed with ADHD(Williams, P.). Stimulant meds such as Ritalin(Methylin) and Adderall(Amphetamine salts) are used in the treatment of ADHD in youths in elementary school all the way into adulthood, but it isn’t until adolescense that abuse becomes a major problem. Currently 8% of youths are diagnosed with ADHD and receive years of medications from their doctors and many end up abusing them. Not to mention that 1 in 10 patients are mis-diagnosed with this disorder and are taking unnessicary meds for it. The serious side effects from stimulant abuse includes perminate damage to blood vessels, heart attack, stroke, and even death in high doses(Dingfelder, S.).
With the abuse of medications, comes distribution and sales among friends and peers. Like stimulants, abused anti-anxiety meds are considered to the United States Government as Schedule Drug, which means it is illegal to possess them without a prescription. If caught with a single pill in possession with out a prescription can result in as much as a felony charge(Williams, P.). Leave the prescribing to the