Prescriptions and Supplements: Deadly Combinations?

A recent report published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine indicates that many individuals, particularly older adults (ages 62-85) are combining prescription medications and over the counter supplements without exploring the risks of doing so. The results were very interesting.

A database of reported and predicted drug interactions was used to determine whether the 20 most common prescription drugs and supplements used by the participants in their study were predicted to cause an adverse reaction when taken together. The researchers showed that 16 combinations of prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and supplements were predicted to increase the risk of adverse reactions, most commonly bleeding. Further, another dangerous fact brought to the researchers attentions\ during the study was that the number of adults taking one of these combinations increased during the study period, from 8.4% to 15.1%.

This may not seem like a huge problem, but from 2006 to 2011, the number of older adults (ages 62 to 85) in the United States reported to be taking five or more medications or supplements rose from 53.4% to 67.1%. The study’s lead author, Dima M. Qato, assistant professor of pharmacy systems, outcomes, and policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago is quoted as saying, “We are trying to improve access to essential prescription medications like statins that could prevent heart disease and improve survival, but we are not prioritizing enough how safe these medications are in the context of all the prescription and nonprescription medications older adults are using.”

To prevent medical emergencies, patients should always disclose everything they are taking to their doctors, including over the counter supplements. For example, taking certain types of fish oil was shown to negatively interact with cholesterol lowering medications and blood pressure medications. People hear “fish oil” and they think nothing bad can come from it. But they need to explore the combinations of supplements with their prescription drugs.

Source; cnn.com

Prescription drug abuse at colleges

While alcohol abuse and binge drinking still remain top on the list of substance abuse issues within college campuses, the abuse of prescription drugs—mostly stimulants, sedatives and pain relievers—remains a growing, yet often unaddressed problem (SAMHSA, 2009; NCASA, 2007) according to talkabouttrx.org.  They indicate that about one in four college students has illegally used prescription drugs, and many more have been offered prescription drugs by friends or fellow students. Sadly, many students may not even realize that they, their roommate, teammate or friend are misusing or abusing prescription drugs, which are often controlled substances and illegal to use without a prescription. Taking these medications the wrong way or without a prescription puts young collegiate lives at risk.

Interventionservices.org similarly indicates that, “going to college is a major transition for many teenagers – one that poses new and often overwhelming challenges. And, while there is no denying that underage drinking is a widespread issue on college campuses, not all parents may be aware of another common form of college-age substance abuse: prescription drugs.”

They report that according to a 2010 report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administrations, 22 percent of college students had experimented with illicit drugs in that year. However, they indicate that despite this substantial figure, not all university administrators seem willing to monitor this form of substance abuse as strictly as on-campus alcohol consumption.  In many instances, professors and administrators feel that prescription drug abuse goes under the radar because it is more subtle. In lieu of a boisterous party at an off-campus fraternity house, prescription drug abuse can easily take place in the campus library as an attempt to fuel an all-night study session they say. They found that it’s not the kids who are “partying” who are abusing prescription drugs on college campuses.  It’s more often the academics who are abusing prescription drugs in attempt to achieve higher levels of academic success.

However, there are more reasons for prescription drug abuse on college campuses, as found in a study conducted at Oregon State University.  In this study, it was found that prescription drug abuse at some college campuses was close to 25% and that prescription drugs are commonly abused because of how easily they are accessed. The study at Oregon State also revealed several additional reasons for abusing prescription drugs.  These included:

• Academic pressures
• Maintaining focus with late-night study sessions
• Dieting purposes
• Feeling of euphoria
• Coping with stress
• Parties and social scenes

Studenthealth.oregonstate.edu indicates that prescription drugs, “can be obtained through friends and family, direct prescriptions from a physician, a prescription ‘drug dealer.’ However, the most common source of these drugs is the medicine cabinets of the individual’s friends and family.”