Friday, May 29, 2015

Clinicians Must Watch for Drug Abuse in Drugs That Should Not Have Abuse Potential

Medical professionals use immense care to prevent drug abuse, particularly when prescribing narcotics, such as opiods. These controlled substances are stringently regulated because of their exploitation potential. Often, nevertheless, those precautions are overlooked regarding medications that may be just as easily addictive and are more readily accessible. Doctors must be cognizant of the potential for exploitation of medicines which could not be as well known for their exploitation potential.

A muscle relaxant also known as Soma, carisoprodol, is one instance of a non-controlled drug that has a long history of abuse. Some states classify carisoprodal (accessible since 1959) as a controlled substance, yet, at the federal level, the drug avoided that classification until 2012. Precise figures on the degree of abuse of non-regulated medications aren't precise due to constraints in the way that data is reported and collected.

Other drugs that hold potential for abuse include antipsychotics, antidepressants, and some anticonvulsants. By combining these materials with other drugs, the abuse potential may be increased.

Over-the-counter medicines which have active pharmaceutical ingredients can also be abused. These medications, often cold medicines or cough syrups, are particularly susceptible to abuse since they are affordable and easy to obtain with no prescription. The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that cold medicines introduce a high risk of exploitation because of ingredients that can create hallucinations or euphoria when taken in high quantities. Some abusers take the medications directly, but others take them in combination with other drugs or blend the substances with soda for flavor.

Doctors must know about the misuse and dependence potential of controlled substances. Nevertheless, an entire assessment of a patient's welfare must also include knowledge of the risks presented by non-controlled substances.

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