Get the Facts about Prescription Drugs!
Most of us are aware that prescription narcotic misuse and abuse are problems that occur throughout the nation, but do we really know what is happening in our own homes and neighborhoods? Over the past year, SMART Utah County has conducted several focus groups and county wide surveys; the following facts were taken from their collection of significant data. What is happening here and now in Utah County will shock you!
Prescription narcotic misuse/abuse findings in Utah County:
- Twenty-Five (25%) of doctors and 12.5% of dentists interviewed received training on how to recognize prescription drug abuse. Doctors and dentists averaged one training session or course over their entire medical profession.
- About 9.3% (about 28,000 residents) of Utah County residents over 18 years of age have used prescription pain medication to manage pain in a way that was not originally intended by their doctor.
- 47% of respondents said they knew someone personally in Utah County that had a problem with prescription pain medication.
- Thirty percent (30%) of treatment clients said they obtained prescription pain relievers fraudulently.
- In the countywide survey we learned for what purposes residents keep leftover prescriptions: (1) Kept pills in case of an emergency, 31% (2) In case they needed the medication in the future, 22% (3) Did not have the time to dispose of the prescription drugs, 16% (4) Not sure how to properly dispose of the leftover drugs, 8% (5) Save money, 1%.
- There are 4 drop-off boxes for unused prescriptions in our community. There are not enough in Utah County to make a significant impact on availability. They are mostly located in South County and are not accessible 24 hours a day; most boxes are located inside buildings.
- Physicians reported that they or their peers often prescribed more pills than necessary. The most common reason for over-prescribing was the hassle of getting calls from patients for continuous refills. Physicians also said the number of pills to prescribe is often arbitrary so they tend to round up. The chart below shows that being prescribed more pain medication than needed is significantly associated with age (26-35), marital status (married) and income ($45,000 to $75,000).
- Prescription pain pills were more commonly shared among youth for recreational drug use. Youth often obtained the drugs from friends or raiding the medicine cabinet. Youth thought they might not get in as much trouble if caught with a pain reliever vs. an illicit drug.
- In our adult focus groups 80% had either been given or shared a prescription drug.
- Physicians report they are confronted by “shoppers” multiple times each week or even on a daily basis. Sixty percent (60%) of adult focus groups said it would be “unlikely” that they would be caught doctor shopping. They ranked doctor shopping laws as one of the least enforced of the prescriptions laws.
- Sixty-three (63%) percent believe it is ‘somewhat’ or ‘very hard’ to get in trouble with the law for illegally using prescription pain medication. If the public does not think they will get in trouble, they are more likely to engage in criminal behavior.
- Doctors cited the following reasons for the lack of adequate information (patient education): (1) LimitedTime (2) Doctors assume they are not the only one involved in the patient’s care. (3) Counseling varies by the type of patient. Types include first time vs. established patient, patient dealing with chronic vs. acute pain. Not all patients obtain the same counseling. (4) No financial incentive (insurance companies do not pay for it) (5) Many addicted patients do not listen or are not receptive.
- Thirty-one (31%) percent of survey respondents felt there was a slight or moderate risk of harming themselves if they increased the dosage of pain medication without doctor approval.
- 12.6% of Utah college students at public universities used pain relievers for non-medical purposes (majority age 18 to 30)
- The countywide survey revealed that 215,358 residents 18 and older had been previously prescribed prescription pain medication with over 17,000 of these individuals having previously shared prescription pain medication with others.
- North County has higher lifetime prescription non- medical use rates. Specifically, North 12%; Central 9%; and South 6%.
- Court filings: There were only 124 fraudulent prescription filings. Twenty-seven (22%) of these court filings were dismissed and fourty-five (36%) were found guilty.
Click here for more facts and information regarding prescription drug misuse/abuse in Utah County
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