Drug Abuse

The responsibility for reducing the misuse of prescription medications falls on the federal government, states, health insurers, pharmacies, health care providers, and, of course, patients. Are you doing all you can do to help?

Competitors have used performance-enhancing practices since ancient times. PAs should be aware of the signs of potential misuse.

Evidence of the dangerous effects of MDMA is mounting, but knowledge of these dangers remains limited. Learning about MDMA can help you educate patients and help to reduce its use.

The core issue of this case is the use of opioids in the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain. Complicating the case is the patient's history of addiction. Of the ethics papers that I review for PA students and the ethics questions I receive from PA colleagues, approximately one third involve pain control and the use of opioids. The questions commonly involve patients with a current or past history of addiction.