Drug Misuse and Diversion in Adults Prescribed Anxiolytics and Sedatives

Abstract

A variety of forms of drug misuse and diversion occurred among this population of adults who were prescribed anxiolytics or sedatives. Likelihood of engaging in misuse or diversion was associated with other substance use, substance use disorders, and personality characteristics. Despite the modest sample size and cross-sectional design, this study identified substantial heterogeneity in prescription anxiolytic and sedative misuse, suggesting that the use of clearly defined operational criteria will be essential in future efforts to further characterize this phenomenon.

Medical and nonmedical use of prescription sedatives and anxiolytics: Adolescents' use and substance use disorder symptoms in adulthood

“…For instance, a prospective study found that adolescents prescribed sedatives/anxiolytics medications were twelve times more likely to use someone else’s sedative/anxiolytic medication relative to adolescents never prescribed sedatives/anxiolytics (Boyd et al, 2015). At least two cross-sectional studies found that between 30% and 44% of adolescents and 54% of adults prescribed prescription sedatives/anxiolytics reported misusing their own medications, primarily by exceeding the recommended dosage followed by deliberately co-ingesting the medication with alcohol or other drugs (McCabe et al, 2011; McLarnon et al, 2011). Second, several studies have shown friends and peers are the leading diversion sources for NMPSA among adolescents and young adults (McCabe & Boyd, 2005; Miech et al, 2015).…”

Misperceptions of Peer Pill-Popping: The Prevalence, Correlates, and Effects of Inaccurate Assumptions About Peer Pharmaceutical Misuse

“…Sedatives may be used recreationally to manage effects of other substances or in combination with other substances to achieve euphoria. Misuse may involve routes of administration other than those for which the substance was initially designed and can be problematic when paired with alcohol (McLarnon, Monaghan, Stewart, & Barrett, 2011). Anabolic steroids, HGH, and other PEDs are typically abused for the purpose of developing skeletal muscle and androgenic traits (van Amesterdam, Opperhuizen, & Hartgens, 2010), but also may lead to euphoria and hyperactivity (Pope, Kouri, & Hudson, 2000).…”

Prescription tranquilizer/sedative misuse prevalence and correlates across age cohorts in the US

“…In adults, research on such misuse has occurred primarily in non-US samples (Fride Tvete, Bjorner, & Skomedal, 2015; McLarnon, Monaghan, Stewart, & Barrett, 2011; Nattala, Murthy, Thennarasu, & Cottler, 2014; Tahiri et al, 2017), with similarly concerning correlates.…”