Ensuring Medication Safety: The Overlooked Epidemic of Prescription Drug Misuse - CGI U 2013
Credit: Paul Morse / Clinton Global Initiative
Matthew Perry
Ensuring Medication Safety: The Overlooked Epidemic of Prescription Drug Misuse - CGI U 2013
Every day for the past decade, approximately 6,000 Americans started misusing prescription drugs, and more than one-third of these new users were under the age of 18. Prescribed by doctors and tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, many people perceive prescription drugs as ‘safe’ and not harmful to share with friends and families. This lack of awareness of the potentially dangerous side effects of prescription drugs—and their escalating abuse—seems to only be recognized in the wake of a tragic outcome. And deaths from unintentional drug overdoses continue to rise: from 1999 to 2009, the number of deaths from narcotic pain pills in the U.S. nearly quadrupled to 15,597—more than those from heroin and cocaine combined. However, there is a renewed focus on increasing public awareness on this issue, and a myriad of new interventions are being developed to identify and support those in need. This panel will highlight successful strategies for combating prescription drug misuse and explore how students can harness their universities’ resources to accelerate action in prevention and treatment efforts on this issue.
Ensuring Medication Safety: The Overlooked Epidemic of Prescription Drug Misuse - CGI U 2013
Credit: Paul Morse / Clinton Global Initiative
Matthew Perry
Ensuring Medication Safety: The Overlooked Epidemic of Prescription Drug Misuse - CGI U 2013
Every day for the past decade, approximately 6,000 Americans started misusing prescription drugs, and more than one-third of these new users were under the age of 18. Prescribed by doctors and tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, many people perceive prescription drugs as ‘safe’ and not harmful to share with friends and families. This lack of awareness of the potentially dangerous side effects of prescription drugs—and their escalating abuse—seems to only be recognized in the wake of a tragic outcome. And deaths from unintentional drug overdoses continue to rise: from 1999 to 2009, the number of deaths from narcotic pain pills in the U.S. nearly quadrupled to 15,597—more than those from heroin and cocaine combined. However, there is a renewed focus on increasing public awareness on this issue, and a myriad of new interventions are being developed to identify and support those in need. This panel will highlight successful strategies for combating prescription drug misuse and explore how students can harness their universities’ resources to accelerate action in prevention and treatment efforts on this issue.