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| author | Christine Ann Bauer |
| title | Prescription Narcotics: The Misuse, Overuse, and Abuse |
| abstract |
In this paper, I look to address the increasing problem of the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs. I suggest that the rising abuse of narcotic medications is a
tri-fold issue: 1.) an increase in the use of patient satisfaction surveys, 2.) inadequate or insufficient technologies accessible to physicians to help regulate the
problem coupled with a lack of time to properly use said technologies, and 3. the business of pharma and the demands for profit. Is this phenomena caused by the big
business, pharmaceutical companies, or a lackadaisical attitude toward the prescribing of said drugs? I suggest that neither is entirely to blame nor it is solely due
to a lackadaisical attitude, but instead to the demand put on physicians to give the patient what they want and a lack of the proper and adequate technologies to
differentiate abusers and users. This problem coupled with the motivation and intentions of pharmaceuticals to make a profit leads to abuse, overuse, and prescription
drug habits. Through my research I have found an alarming connection between patient satisfaction surveys and the abuse of narcotic medications. Patient satisfaction
surveys are the latest tool to aid in providing "better" health care to patients through questions and answers; however, while they have their benefits, they are leading
physicians to write prescriptions for narcotics simply to appease patients. For the physicians, I argue that in some instances, it is not solely due to a lackadaisical
attitude on the physician's part, but instead to the demand on them to give the patient what they want in order to satisfy their patient satisfaction surveys. It is
easier to write for these medications to appease patients, then dealing with a negative review and its repercussions. Physicians do not want to have to answer to bad
patient satisfaction reviews, so they give into patient demands. The emergency room and care centers are becoming supermarkets for drug seekers. While I do believe that
patient satisfactions surveys are beneficial, I believe they are turning the practice of medicine into a customer service oriented business controlled by supply and demand.
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| school | The Caspersen School of Graduate Studies, Drew University |
| degree | M.M.H. (May 2014) |
| advisors | Philip Scibilia
Phyllis DeJesse |
| full text | CABauer.pdf |
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