Prescription Drug Misuse

View 12 webinars covering prescription medications covering opioids, sedatives, stimulants, and addiction, presented by the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery, Ohio State University.

Substance Use Disorder in Health Professions

The national statistics in the United States indicate that the risk of SUD among people aged 12 years and older is approximately 17%.

Healthcare workers are estimated to have similar susceptibility to SUD as the general population, with physicians experiencing a 10-12% prevalence rate over their lifetime.

Approximately 15% of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) or physician anesthesiologists will abuse substances at some point in their careers. In addition, over 60% of pharmacists have used prescription medications without proper prescriptions (Dabney, 2001).

Studies on graduate students enrolled in health sciences, engineering, business, and other disciplines found a positive correlation between increased stress levels, comorbid substance, and mental health problems with the increased length of programs. Health profession students are also at an increased risk for misuse and abuse of drugs due to high stress levels and overall proximity to narcotics during clinical training.

• American Society of Addiction Medicine provides additional educational resources for treating addiction.
• Recovery Research Institute presents evidence about addiction treatment and recovery.
• Narcotics Anonymous helps people with drug problems.