Prescription drug abuse is on the rise. Surprisingly though, the majority of users of prescription drugs are the elderly, giving rise to an increasing number of addicted individuals in this age group. Most users become abusers purely by accident as they tend to assume that if they have a prescription for a drug, the possibility of addiction is minimal. This of course could not be farther from the truth. Prescription drugs are just as addictive, sometimes more so, than the illegal substances that are being abused today.

A study undertaken by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) in 2003 found that around 4.7 million Americans started using prescription drugs for recreational purposes in 2002, most of which were pain relievers, followed closely by tranquilizers. In the ten year period between 1990 and 2000, the first time abuse of pain relievers rose sharply from just over half a million to 2.5 million individuals. Studies of statistics from Emergency rooms of hospitals across the US indicated that the most common prescription drug abuse is of Benzodiazepines, such as Diazepam, and Opiod pain killers, such as morphine and methadone. Unfortunately, admissions of overdose cases regarding prescription drug abuse to ERs have remained at a stable figure since 1995.

Because of the increased likelihood of the elderly having to take some form of prescription medication, there is a greater possibility of these individuals developing a dependence on these drugs. The problem of prescription drug abuse amongst this age group is at such a point that, despite the elderly only making up 13 percent of the population, they represent a third of the total number of all prescription drug abuse cases. In most cases these individuals have become unintentionally addicted to these drugs. This is where health care providers can make a big difference by talking to the individuals and trying to encourage some kind of suitable addiction treatment.

Amongst the younger generation it appears that efforts to educate about the dangers of drug abuse have gone unnoticed as the numbers of prescription drug abuse cases amongst this age group remained unchanged between 2003 and 2004. Vicodin proved to be the most popular prescription drug to be abused by this age group, possibly due to the influence and unavoidable presence of pop stars and celebrities focus on this particular drug. Prescription drug abuse amongst the younger generation appears to be more likely if other forms of drug abuse have been present in the past. There is a general feeling and common misconception that prescription drug abuse is acceptable because they are legal and also due to the fact that they are readily prescribed by professional health care providers. Addiction treatment for these cases can also prove difficult due to the fact that these individuals tend not to be questioned when prescription drugs are found on the person.

Addiction treatment for the abuse of prescription drugs relies mainly on the correct identification of such abuse by friends, family or health care providers due to the fact that being ‘caught’ with such drugs is not illegal in itself. Many cases of prescription drug abuse arise through legitimate use which may lead to dependence. Recognizing the abuse in oneself and seeking help through a professional health care provider, such as a doctor or pharmacist can help to find the correct drug rehab treatment program for full recovery.