Prescription Drugs

Nursing 410 Critical Issue Presentation

Good or Bad?

"Fifty Americans die a day from prescription drug overdoses, and more than 6 million suffer from prescription drug abuse disorders. This is a very real epidemic - and warrants a strong public health response," said Andrea Gielen, ScD, Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy.

Fifty people die every day from opioid prescription painkillers – more deaths than heroin and cocaine overdoses combined.

Nearly 15,000 people die every year of overdoses involving prescription painkillers.

In 2010, 1 in 20 people in the US (age 12 or older) reported using prescription painkillers for nonmedical reasons in the past year.

Enough prescription painkillers were prescribed in 2010 to medicate every American adult around-the-clock for a month.

Of the 22,400 drug overdose deaths in the US in 2005 opioid pain killers were the most commonly found drug, accounting for 38.2% of these deaths.

FACTS

Foundation for a Drug Free World, 2006-2014. The truth about prescription drug use. Retrieved on February 2015 from http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/prescription/the-truth-about-drugs.html

What Medications Might You See or Hear About?Depressants Xanax

Valium

Halcion

Librium

Ativan

Klonopin

Seconal

Phenobarbital

Street Names Candy

Downers

Sleeping Pills

Tranks

Red Bird

Phennies

Yellow Jackets

Barbs

Symptoms Slows pulse and

breathing

Sluggishness

Drowsiness

Slurred speech

Confusion

Dilated pupils

Cravings

Anxiety attacks

Panic attacks

Rohypnol

Rohypnol is a tranquilizer that is 10 times more potent than valium. It comes in either a white or olive green pill, and kids crush it and snort the powder.

Street Names

Forget-me pill

Mexican Valium

R2

Rope

Roofies (date rape drug)

Symptoms

The symptoms start 20-30 minutes after taking the medication, it peaks at 2 hours, but can last 8-12 hours.

The drug paralyzes the body and leaves you unable to move, but able to observe the events that are happening at the time, then when you do come around the memory of the event is gone, and you have lost or can not remember what had happened in those hours (amnesia).

Opioids and Morphine Derivatives

Tylenol with Codeine

Tylenol #3

Duragesic Patch

OxyContin

Demerol

Dilaudid

Percocet

Percodan

Roxinol

Vicodin/hydrocodone

Street Names

Captain Cody

School Boy

Doors and Fours

Pancake and Syrup

Loads

China Girl

Jackpot

TNT

Tango and Cash

Murder 8

Demmies

Miss Emma

Oxycat

Hydros

Symptoms

Drowsiness

Slowed breathing

Unconsciousness

Coma

Nausea

Insomnia

Restlessness

Muscle and bone pain

Diarrhea

Vomiting

Cold flashes with goose bumps (cold turkey)

Stimulants

Ritalin

Concerta

Dexedrine

Biphetamine

Street Names

R-ball

Skippy

Kibbles n bits

Vitamin R

Speed

Truck drivers

Bennies

Black beauties

Uppers

Hearts

Symptoms

Exhaustion

Apathy and depression (the down that follows the up)

Hostility

Paranoia

Increased body temperature

Irregular heart rate

Antidepressants

Prozac

Paxil

Effexor

Zoloft

Celexa

Remeron

Lexapro

Wellbutrin

Cymbalta

Symptoms

Insomnia

Irritability

Violet thoughts and actions

Agitation

Tremors

Nervousness

Suicidal thought or suicide

Hostility

Aggression

Paranoia

Hallucination

Akathisia (a painful inner agitation, inability to sit still)

Study Results

14% of young people taking an antidepressant become agitated and even violent.

Ketamine

Ketaset

Ketalar

Ketalar SV

Ketanest

Ketanest S

Street Names

Special K

K

Cat Valium

Super C

Jet

Super Acid

Green

Symptoms

Increased heartrate

Increased blood pressure

Nausea

Vomiting

Numbness

Anemia

Hallucinations

Fatal respiratory problems

Cravings for the drug

K-Hole (an out of body or near death experience)

Can also be used as a date rape drug due to the dream like state it puts the person in, and inability to move.

Over the Counter

Robitussin

Street Names

DXM

Robo

Poor Man’s PCP

Symptoms

Visual hallucinations

Insomnia

Lethargy

Drowsiness

Slurred speech

Sweating

Delusions

High blood pressure

Adolescent abuse of prescription drugs has continued to rise over the past 5 years. The survey found high rates of nonmedical use of the prescription pain relievers Vicodin and OxyContin to be the highest abused prescription drugs. It is believed that 2 factors have led to the increase in abuse. First, the availability of prescription drugs is increasing from many sources, including the family medicine cabinet, the Internet, and doctors. Second, many adolescents believe that prescription drugs are safer to take than street drugs and harder to detect in drug raids. National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Drug of abuse

information. Bethesda, MD: NIDA; 2008 March. Retrieved on February 2015 from http://www.drugabuse.gov/tib/prescription.html

Healthy People 2020Healthy People 2020 was started in 2010 and is a 10 year plan to improve the health of all Americans. At this point there are 42 topic areas with over 1,200 objectives, called Leading Health Indicators. The indicators are used to see the health of the Nation, facilitate collaboration across sectors, and motivate action at the national, State, and community levels to improve the health of the U.S. population.

GoalReduce substance abuse to protect the health, safety, and quality of life for all, especially children

ObjectiveSA-19 Reduce the past-year nonmedical use of prescription drugs

Healthy People 2020, 2014. Leading health indicators. Retrieved on February 2015 from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/Leading-Health-Indicators

Questions?

We need to be Proactive NOT Reactive!!

References

Foundation for a Drug Free World, 2006-2014. The truth about prescription drug use. Retrieved on February 2015 from http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/prescription/the-truth-about-drugs.html

National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Drug of abuse information. Bethesda, MD: NIDA; 2008 March. Retrieved on February 2015 from http://www.drugabuse.gov/tib/prescription.html

Healthy People 2020, 2014. Leading health indicators. Retrieved on February 2015 from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/Leading-Health-Indicators

National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2014. Drug facts: prescription and over-the-counter medications. Retrieved on February 2015 from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/prescription-over-counter-medications