Non-medical use of prescription medications among middle school students: a qualitative analysis

Non-medical use of prescription medication (NMUPM) has surpassed all other drugs abused by adolescents with the exception of marijuana. One third of adolescents aged 12-17 have reported using a prescription medication for non-medical purposes in their lives. Twenty-five middle school students partic...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of substance use 2015-08, Vol.20 (4), p.247-253
Main Authors: Funk, Merrill D., Hobbs, Colleen E., Camero Garcia, Maria A., Gwin, Shannon H., Ayers, Melanie D., Alshuwaiyer, Ghadah I., Cheney, Marshall K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abuse
adolescents
prescription drug
qualitative
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Non-medical use of prescription medication (NMUPM) has surpassed all other drugs abused by adolescents with the exception of marijuana. One third of adolescents aged 12-17 have reported using a prescription medication for non-medical purposes in their lives. Twenty-five middle school students participated in in-depth interviews about their experience with NMUPM. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and downloaded to Nvivo 10 for analysis. Researchers identified 11 common themes among participants. Middle school students did not recognize prescription medications as potentially dangerous when used non-medically compared to using street drugs. Obtaining prescription medications for non-medical purposes was perceived as relatively easy and parents, friends' parents and friends were major sources for obtaining them. NMUPM occurred at school even with teachers present and at parties and private homes with and without parents at home. Some students described using prescription medications as a means to satisfy desires for sensation and to deal with life problems. Practitioners can use these results to inform healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical companies, parents and adolescents of the prevalence and serious risks involved with NMUPM.
ISSN:1465-9891
1475-9942
DOI:10.3109/14659891.2014.900581