1. Critical Issue Presentation
Prescription Drugs
Nursing 410
Critical Issue Presentation
Good or Bad?

2. "Fifty Americans die a day from prescription drug overdoses, and more than 6 million suffer from prescription drug abuse disorders. This is a very real epidemic - and warrants a strong public health response," said Andrea Gielen, ScD, Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy.

3. FACTS
Fifty people die every day from opioid prescription painkillers – more deaths than heroin and cocaine overdoses combined.
Nearly 15,000 people die every year of overdoses involving prescription painkillers.
In 2010, 1 in 20 people in the US (age 12 or older) reported using prescription painkillers for nonmedical reasons in the past year.
Enough prescription painkillers were prescribed in 2010 to medicate every American adult around-the-clock for a month.
Of the 22,400 drug overdose deaths in the US in 2005 opioid pain killers were the most commonly found drug, accounting for 38.2% of these deaths.
Foundation for a Drug Free World, The truth about prescription drug use. Retrieved on February 2015 from

4. What Medications Might You See or Hear About?
Depressants
Street Names
Symptoms
Xanax
Valium
Halcion
Librium
Ativan
Klonopin
Seconal
Phenobarbital
Candy
Downers
Sleeping Pills
Tranks
Red Bird
Phennies
Yellow Jackets
Barbs
Slows pulse and breathing
Sluggishness
Drowsiness
Slurred speech
Confusion
Dilated pupils
Cravings
Anxiety attacks
Panic attacks

5. Rohypnol Street Names Symptoms
Rohypnol is a tranquilizer that is 10 times more potent than valium. It comes in either a white or olive green pill, and kids crush it and snort the powder.
Forget-me pill
Mexican Valium R2
Rope
Roofies (date rape drug)
The symptoms start minutes after taking the medication, it peaks at 2 hours, but can last hours.
The drug paralyzes the body and leaves you unable to move, but able to observe the events that are happening at the time, then when you do come around the memory of the event is gone, and you have lost or can not remember what had happened in those hours (amnesia).

6. Opioids and Morphine Derivatives Street Names Symptoms
Captain Cody
School Boy
Doors and Fours
Pancake and Syrup
Loads
China Girl
Jackpot
TNT
Tango and Cash
Murder 8
Demmies
Miss Emma
Oxycat
Hydros
Tylenol with Codeine
Tylenol #3
Duragesic Patch
OxyContin
Demerol
Dilaudid
Percocet
Percodan
Roxinol
Vicodin/hydrocodone
Drowsiness
Slowed breathing
Unconsciousness
Coma
Nausea
Insomnia
Restlessness
Muscle and bone pain
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Cold flashes with goose bumps (cold turkey)

7. Stimulants Street Names Symptoms Ritalin Concerta Dexedrine
Biphetamine
R-ball
Skippy
Kibbles n bits
Vitamin R
Speed
Truck drivers
Bennies
Black beauties
Uppers
Hearts
Exhaustion
Apathy and depression (the down that follows the up)
Hostility
Paranoia
Increased body temperature
Irregular heart rate

8. Antidepressants Symptoms Study Results Prozac Paxil Effexor Zoloft
Celexa
Remeron
Lexapro
Wellbutrin
Cymbalta
Insomnia
Irritability
Violet thoughts and actions
Agitation
Tremors
Nervousness
Suicidal thought or suicide
Hostility
Aggression
Paranoia
Hallucination
Akathisia (a painful inner agitation, inability to sit still)
14% of young people taking an antidepressant become agitated and even violent.

9. Ketamine Street Names Symptoms Ketaset Ketalar Ketalar SV Ketanest
Ketanest S
Special K K
Cat Valium
Super C
Jet
Super Acid
Green
Increased heartrate
Increased blood pressure
Nausea
Vomiting
Numbness
Anemia
Hallucinations
Fatal respiratory problems
Cravings for the drug
K-Hole (an out of body or near death experience)
Can also be used as a date rape drug due to the dream like state it puts the person in, and inability to move.

10. Over the Counter Street Names Symptoms Robitussin DXM Robo
Poor Man’s PCP
Visual hallucinations
Insomnia
Lethargy
Drowsiness
Slurred speech
Sweating
Delusions
High blood pressure

11. Second, many adolescents believe that
Adolescent abuse of prescription drugs has continued to rise over the past 5 years. The survey found high rates of nonmedical use of the prescription pain relievers Vicodin and OxyContin to be the highest abused prescription drugs.
It is believed that 2 factors have led to the increase in abuse. First, the availability of prescription drugs is increasing from many sources, including the family medicine cabinet, the Internet, and doctors.
Second, many adolescents believe that
prescription drugs are safer to take than
street drugs and harder to detect in drug
raids.
National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Drug of abuse information. Bethesda, MD: NIDA; 2008 March. Retrieved on February 2015 from

14. Healthy People 2020
Healthy People 2020 was started in 2010 and is a 10 year plan to improve the health of all Americans. At this point there are 42 topic areas with over 1,200 objectives, called Leading Health Indicators. The indicators are used to see the health of the Nation, facilitate collaboration across sectors, and motivate action at the national, State, and community levels to improve the health of the U.S. population.
Goal
Reduce substance abuse to protect the health, safety, and quality of life for all, especially children
Objective
SA-19 Reduce the past-year nonmedical use of prescription drugs
Healthy People 2020, Leading health indicators. Retrieved on February 2015 from

15. We need to be Proactive NOT Reactive!!
Questions?
We need to be Proactive NOT Reactive!!

16. References
Foundation for a Drug Free World, The truth about prescription drug use. Retrieved on February 2015 from
National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Drug of abuse information. Bethesda, MD: NIDA; 2008 March. Retrieved on February 2015 from
Healthy People 2020, Leading health indicators. Retrieved on February 2015 from
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Drug facts: prescription and over-the-counter medications. Retrieved on February 2015 from