Pharmaceutical Drug Manufacturers

27 April 2010- Pharmaceutical drugs are for betterment of health. However, like any other things, if there is drug misuse or drug abuse then they are bound to affect one's health in a negative way. Drug misuse can be defined as improper use of medications. Now what is improper use of drugs? It is any one from among the following.

• Excessive use of drugs
• Using drugs (prescription or Over-the-Counter or OTC drugs) when they are not intended to be used.
• Using prescription drugs without a prescription.
• Knowingly using drugs for intoxicating effects.
• Co-ingestion of drugs with alcohol.
• Taking drugs through improper route of administration.
• Drug Abuse

Drug Misuse v/s Drug Abuse

Drug abuse (also called substance abuse) is the state of substance dependence. When someone continues using any substance (alcohol or drugs) in spite of knowing their harmful effects, it is called drug abuse. This type of substance dependence is compulsive and repetitive in nature and it may lead to tolerance to the effect of the drug and withdrawal symptoms when use of drug is reduced or stopped. Some definitions of drug abuse take it as psychological or physical dependence. Drug abuse needs addiction treatment for preventing and minimizing the social consequences of substance abuse.

There is a basic difference between drug abuse and drug misuse. Drug misuse refers to the use of prescription drugs (medications) having clinical efficacy. These drugs have abuse potential too and can adversely affect due to their improper use. Such drugs can be any of the prescription drugs used by medical practitioners for psychiatric medications or drugs with sedative, anxiolytic, analgesic, or stimulant properties.

List of Misused Drugs

Some of the prescription and OTC drugs are misused for the effect they produce. This is the list of such drugs which also tells about the symptoms of drug misuse and consequences upon their misuse.

Pain Relievers- Drugs prescribed and used for pain relief are also known as narcotics and opiates. These drugs used as pain relievers, if taken in excessive, can result into respiratory depression and death. If taken regularly for long term, they can lead to physical dependence and addiction too.

Depressants- These drugs, also known as sedatives or tranquilizers that are prescribed for anxiety and sleep disorders, can affect the normal brain functions. People with this type of drug misuse have drowsy, uncoordinated feeling all the time due to slow functioning of their brain. Overdoses can cause breathing problems and lead to coma. If taken for long term, they can result into physical dependence and addiction.

Stimulants- The drugs prescribed for hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy or obesity, can result into high blood pressure and increased heart rate. Overdose can cause abnormal heart beat that, in turn, can lead to high body temperature and cardiac arrest.

Over-The-Counter (OTC) Drugs- There are many easily available over-the-counter drugs for treatment of allergies, cold, motion sickness, as well as diet pills and sleeping pills whose misuse can cause serious harms to health if taken in large doses and for non medical purposes.

Education and proper targeted communication about harmful effects of prescription and OTC drugs misuse can only help in addiction treatment of those who fall into this trap of drug abuse.