PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE PRODUCES ADVERSE EFFECTS

Prescription drug abuse is on the rise with college students and
society as a whole, and online pharmacies have made prescription
drugs more accessible, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Ramon Ryan, a medical review officer and doctor of internal medicine,
said he believes that as a whole, "Our society has become more drug oriented."

Ryan said many people look to prescription drugs just to get through
the day. "People will take amphetamines to stay awake all day then
barbiturates at night to get to sleep," Ryan said.

Nancy Watts, director of the pharmacy technician program at
Chattanooga State, said prescription drugs do not have the stigma of
street drugs because they are believed to have less risk of
contamination and are not "cooked at home" like many illegal street drugs.

But "Prescription drug abuse is the same as any drug abuse," Watts said.

Prescription Overindulgence

"More prescriptions are written in Tennessee than any other state," Watts said.

Beverly Hawkins, pharmacy laboratory technician at Chattanooga State,
said, "Before they revamped Tenncare, the average amount of
prescriptions per Tenncare patient was 27, which is a tremendous
amount of drugs."

Nancy Badger, director of counseling and career planning at UTC,
said, "Prescription drug use is a problem nationally, and thus it
impacts our campus. It is never wise to take medication that is not
prescribed specifically for you."

According to Watts, "Most prescription abuse starts out with
legitimate prescriptions."

College students who abuse drugs often acquire prescription drugs by
taking them from family members, Watts said. The drugs may have been
prescribed for them for things like cancer, chronic long-term pain
management, ADD or ADHD, Badger said.

Daniel Sims, a Chattanooga senior, said, "I think it [prescription
drug abuse] is more common than people would assume."

Narcotics

Hydrocodone products are the most abused medications of all, Watts
said. Loratab, Lorcet and Vicodin are popular brand names of these
narcotics, she said.

"They are the number one prescribed drugs in the country," Watts said.

According to Ryan, doctors give out Loratab prescriptions so
frequently in emergency rooms that they have been given the nickname
"Vitamin L." He said addicts will fake injuries just so they can get
a prescription.

Stimulants

According to Ray Flis, a pharmacist for CVS, another one of the main
prescription drug types abused on college campuses is amphetamines,
such as Adderall and Dexedrine, that are prescribed for ADD and ADHD patients.

He said for people who actually have these disorders, the medicines
will make them calmer so they can focus, but for those who do not
have the disorders, they have the opposite effect, making them hyper.

"Many college students frequently abuse these drugs close to test
time so that they can pull all-nighters to study for tests," Flis said.

"Adderall is basically prescription meth," according to one UTC
student who was formerly a user.

Ryan said many doctors prescribe amphetamines like candy. Many
college students learn the symptoms of ADD and ADHD from their
friends so they can trick doctors into giving them a prescription, he added.

"Many doctors will give prescriptions if someone looks out a window
more than once," Ryan said.

Consequences Of Abuse

According to Watts, there are many problems that occur with abuse of
prescription drugs. These include addiction, overdose, heart attack
and stroke, as well as financial, social and personal problems.

Watts said many abusers like to combine drugs to get stronger effects
in a shorter amount of time, which creates a "double whammy" effect
and is actually harsher on health than taking the drugs individually.

She said prescription drugs react with other prescription drugs,
over-the-counter medication, herbal supplements, street drugs and alcohol.

With time-release pills, such as Oxycontin, abusers grind them up to
break through the safety time-release mechanisms, which causes many
overdoses, according to Watts.

Campus Counseling Available

Badger said UTC students who wish to learn how abuse of prescription
drugs is impacting them, may contact the Counseling and Career
Planning Center at (423) 425-4438.