Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction. National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Report Series. Revised October 2011.

摘要

Prescription drug abuse1 is the use of a medication without a prescription, in a way other than as prescribed, or for the experience or feelings elicited. According to several national surveys, prescription medications, such as those used to treat pain, attention deficit disorders, and anxiety, are being abused at a rate second only to marijuana among illicit drug users. The consequences of this abuse have been steadily worsening, reflected in increased treatment admissions, emergency room visits, and overdose deaths.