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From the Director
The nonmedical use or abuse of
prescription drugs is a serious and
growing public health problem in this
country. The elderly are among those
most vulnerable to prescription drug
abuse or misuse because they are
prescribed more medications than their
younger counterparts. Most people take
prescription medications responsibly;
however, an estimated 48 million people
(ages 12 and older) have used prescription
drugs for nonmedical reasons in
their lifetimes. This represents approximately
20 percent of the U.S. population.
Also alarming is the fact that the
2004 National Institute on Drug Abuse's
(NIDA's) Monitoring the Future survey
of 8th, 10th, and 12th-graders found
that 9.3 percent of 12th-graders reported
using Vicodin without a prescription in
the past year, and 5.0 percent reported
using OxyContin-making these
medications among the most commonly
abused prescription drugs by adolescents.
The abuse of certain prescription
drugs-opioids, central nervous system
(CNS) depressants, and stimulants-
can alter the brain's activity and lead
to addiction. While we do not yet
understand all of the reasons for the
increasing abuse of prescription drugs,
we do know that accessibility is likely
a contributing factor. In addition to
the increasing number of medicines
being prescribed for a variety of health
problems, some medications can be
obtained easily from online pharmacies.
Most of these are legitimate businesses
that provide an important service; however,
some online pharmacies dispense
medications without a prescription
and without appropriate identity verification,
allowing minors to order the
medications easily over the Internet.
NIDA hopes to decrease the prevalence
of this problem by increasing awareness
and promoting additional research on
prescription drug abuse. Prescription
drug abuse is not a new problem, but
one that deserves renewed attention. It
is imperative that as a Nation we make
ourselves aware of the consequences
associated with the misuse and abuse
of these medications.
Nora D. Volkow, M.D.
Director
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Revised 2005
This report is also available in PDF format, Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction, [PDF format, 596 KB]
This report is also available in Spanish, Medicamentos de Prescripción: Abuso y Adicción
All materials appearing in the Research Reports Series are in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission from NIDA. Citation of the source is appreciated.
2423063since 4/9/01
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