Every year there are millions of people in the United States who abuse prescription drugs. Add a statistic here. Over the past few years ER visits and drug facilitation admissions have increased exceptionally from prescription drug abuse. Prescription drugs are prescribed by a doctor for a patient and are purchased from a pharmacy. Pharmacists prescribe medications for patients with medical conditions and take serious consideration when prescribing the medicine. Prescription drugs have many benefits and when used properly by a patient can help in multiple ways. However, when prescription drugs are abused they can have many harmful long term effects, especially if taken with other drugs or alcohol. Prescription drugs can be just as toxic as taking drugs such cocaine or heroin. Every person can react to a prescription drug in a different way. This is why when people do not take prescription drugs properly it can lead to various …show more content…
They can be taken orally in the form of tablets, which is the way more users take them. However, some abusers will crush up the tablets and snort or inject the powder inside of them. This inserts the powder into the bloodstream and brain faster, intensifying the drugs effect. Due to the multiple ways they can be taken, different varieties of the drugs, and accessibility they are becoming very powerful drugs. Prescription drugs have become the most common type of substance, after marijuana and alcohol, abused by Americans age 14 and older. Their abuse is also the cause of more overdoses than cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines combined. Due to it’s easy way to retrieve, as prescription drugs are also given to abusers by a friend or relative, this supports the evidence on whether or not prescription drug abuse is on the rise. (-This sentence might also work in the conclusion instead) While prescription drugs are effective, their abuse is increasing drastically in the United