Prescription Drug Abuse

An estimated 6.5 million individuals currently abuse prescription drugs in the United States. Unlike policy on street drugs, federal policy on prescription drug abuse is complicated by the need to maintain access to prescription controlled substances (PCS) for legitimate medical use. Prescription drug abuse is not limited to addiction; it includes, for example, taking a medication for the purpose of getting high or taking a medication that was prescribed for someone else. This book discusses reduction efforts and the federal role in prescription drug abuse.