Controlled substances are not only
drugs of abuse, but include medications that have a useful and legitimate
purpose. In addition to narcotics, the class includes certain hormones,
anti-seizure medications, stimulants and depressants. Physicians who write
prescriptions for controlled substances need special licenses from both federal
and state governments.
Prescription medication overdose is
an increasing problem. Drug overdose was the leading cause
of injury death in 2012. Among people 25 to 64 years old, drug overdose caused
more deaths than motor vehicle traffic crashes. In 2011, drug misuse and abuse
caused about 2.5 million emergency department (ED) visits. Of these, more than
1.4 million ED visits were related to pharmaceuticals.
Teenagers are at particular risk. They obtain the
pharmaceuticals from friends and relatives, sometimes without the person
knowing. (What’s in your medicine cabinet?) The good news is that teens as a
group are less likely to die of an overdose since adults abuse drugs at a
greater rate.
Current estimates show that
controlled substances comprise 12 percent of all prescriptions made each year.
Every year a greater number of prescriptions are sent electronically directly
to the pharmacy, more than 75% in most states. At this time, we cannot use
e-prescribing for controlled medications. Prescriptions are printed or
hand-written on tamper-proof paper using precise metrics. This is annoying to
the prescriber but can be a real burden to the patient who needs medication.
