MEDICINES: MISUSE AND ABUSE

Medicine Misuse
-Medicine misuse is the improper use of drug for the purposes it is not intended for.
-Not following prescription
-Using other people's prescription

Medicine Abuse
-Medicine abuse is habitual, compulsive, and excessive use of drug for the feeling associated with it.

The following are some types of medicine misuse and abuse:

Self-Medication
-It is the process of taking medicines on your own, especially prescription drugs, without a doctor's approval or
medical supervision.

Improper Use
-Improper use of medicine involves taking lesser or greater dosage than prescribed.
-It also involves taking medicine not for its intended use, which may lead to overdose.
-Excessive use of medicine can lead to serious health problem or sometimes, even death.

Dependence
-Dependence is the body's physical need to a particular medicine or drug.
-This dependence happens when the body adapts to the repeated doses of the said medicine.

Addiction
-Drug addiction is just like drug dependence. But it is much worse because it is the uncontrollable urge or need to
use drugs despite negative consequences.
-A person who is addicted to drugs is prone to negative behavior such as robbery for the sole purpose of
obtaining drugs.

Factors Leading to Medicine Misuse and Abuse:

Lack of Parental Supervision

-Parents are the role models of their children. Their guidance is important for a child to know the right things to
do.
-If a child is not guided during his or her growing years, he or she may follow bad examples.

Poverty
-Living in a poor community exposes one to situations that lead to medicine misuse and abuse.
-Communities may also have less access to education, which exposes them to misinformation about medicine
use.

Availability of Drugs
-A person who is exposed to medicines has a greater chance of drug misuse and abuse.
-If the community will not control the use of a medicine, it will be prone to drug abuse as people may seek instant
pleasure out of these medicines.