Principles of Health: Prescription Drug Abuse

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A CHOICE Top 75 Community College Resource for July 2022

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Principles of Health: Prescription Drug Abuse is an important and timely volume that addresses a serious public health issue in the United States. Prescription drug abuse takes many forms, from taking a friend's painkillers for your backache to misusing pills to lose weight or get high. Although most people take prescription medications responsibly, an estimated 20 million have misused prescription medications in the past year. The three classes of medications most commonly misused are opioids (usually prescribed to treat pain); central nervous system depressants (used to treat anxiety and sleeplessness); and stimulants (most often prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy).

This work begins with a comprehensive Editor’s Introduction to the topic of prescription drug abuse. Following the Introduction, Principles of Health: Prescription Drug Abuse includes 118 entries arranged in five broad categories:

• Scope of Prescription Drugs Abused and Misused gives a broad overview of the most important topics concerning prescription drug abuse, such as the opioid epidemic and trends and statistics, as well as defining key concepts like addiction and misuse versus abuse.
• Classes of Drugs Commonly Abused or Misused covers the classes of drugs most commonly abused or misused, including narcotics, over-the-counter drugs, painkillers, and stimulants, to name a few.
• Prevention and Recognition of Potential Abuse or Misuse discusses preventative measures as well as ways to recognize prescription drug abuse and covers alternative pain relief measures, education, testing, and important organizations like the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and legislation like the Controlled Substances Act.
• Treatment of Prescription Drug Addiction focuses on intervention and recovery therapies, including alternative and behavioral therapies for addiction, detoxification, twelve-step programs, the science of addiction, and treatment centers such as the Hazelden Betty Ford Center.
• Specific Drugs and Drug Classes breaks down the most problematic drugs and drug classes currently being abused or misused, including depressants, ephedrine, medical marijuana, morphine, valium, and vicodin, among others.

Some of the entries discussed in this volume include:

Addiction The economic impact of addiction Newborn addicts Opioid epidemic Antipsychotic drugs Depressants misuse Sleeping pills addiction D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)

War on Drugs Drug testing Biofeedback Overdose Withdrawal Fentanyl Insulin Oxycodone Valium

Each entry includes an Abstract that provides a brief, concrete summary of the topic and its significance, followed by a detailed essay that provides extensive background to the topic and explains its significance to the field of nursing. Photos and illustrations enhance many of the entries, and a list of Further Reading for those who wish to pursue the topic in more depth appears at the end of each entry. In addition, Principles of Health: Prescription Drug Abuse includes helpful back matter, such as a comprehensive General Bibliography, a Glossary, a list of Organizations, and a Subject Index.

Essays are comprehensive and accessible to high school and undergraduate students and general readers interested in this important health issue—a must-have resource for students and researchers building a foundation in the study of this topic.

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