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Pharmacy
Special Issues
Misuse and Abuse of Medicines
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Misuse and Abuse of Medicines

A special issue of Pharmacy (ISSN 2226-4787).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2018) | Viewed by 13137

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Richard Cooper

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Interests: misuse, abuse and addiction to medicines; over-the-counter and prescription medicine supply and prescribing; medical sociology; pharmacy; medical ethics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The supply of medicines through recognized routes, such as prescriptions and over-the-counter pharmacy sales, represent a key aspect of treatment in many health systems. Despite regulation of such supplies in many countries, representing an important public health strategy to protect the public, there is increasing recognition, however, that some medicines can be misused and abused and lead to dependence and addiction. Implicated therapeutic groups include analgesics and particularly opioids, benzodiazepines, stimulants, laxatives, and sedatives, with associated morbidity and mortality, and wider societal and economic burdens. Current responses to this issue vary, and relate to the appropriateness of prescribing and pharmacy supplies, awareness of misuse and abuse risks amongst the public and health-care professionals, appropriate regulation and enforcement of supply routes, and the adequacy of treatment and support options. This represents a unique problem for pharmacy and healthcare more generally, as those affected may differ significantly from other groups, such as illicit drug users, and also represent a hard-to-reach population, with potentially unique methodological and treatment needs. Articles are invited to this Special Issue on “Misuse and Abuse of Medicines” to enhance our understanding of this increasingly important topic. We welcome empirical studies relating to any aspect of medicine misuse and abuse, as well as theoretical and methodological reflections, and opinion pieces.

Dr. Richard Cooper
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmacy is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Medicine Misuse
  • Medicine Abuse
  • Dependence
  • Addiction
  • Medicine Regulation 
  • Prescribing appropriateness
  • Addiction Treatment

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1408 KiB  
Article
Development of Pharmacist Independent Prescribing Clinics to Treat Opioid Analgesic Dependence in NHS Lanarkshire
by Duncan Hill, Elizabeth Marr and Clair Smith
Pharmacy 2019, 7(3), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy7030119 - 22 Aug 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3522
Abstract
There has been an increase in opioid analgesic prescribing in general practice (GP). This is causing some concern around this contributing to dependency. NHS Lanarkshire have attempted to reduce the prescribing from GP surgeries through the development of specialised Pharmacist Independent Prescriber clinics [...] Read more.
There has been an increase in opioid analgesic prescribing in general practice (GP). This is causing some concern around this contributing to dependency. NHS Lanarkshire have attempted to reduce the prescribing from GP surgeries through the development of specialised Pharmacist Independent Prescriber clinics being delivered from the practices. This article looks at the development of these services with pharmacist independent prescribers and the results from developing the services. The article aims to provide advice and recommendations for the development of other services and strategies to minimise the risks associated with Opioid Analgesic Dependence for patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Misuse and Abuse of Medicines)
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16 pages, 236 KiB  
Article
Specialist Clinicians’ Management of Dependence on Non-Prescription Medicines and Barriers to Treatment Provision: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study Using Behavioural Theory
by Niamh Fingleton, Eilidh Duncan, Margaret Watson and Catriona Matheson
Pharmacy 2019, 7(1), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy7010025 - 5 Mar 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4185
Abstract
The aim of the study was to establish how non-prescription medicine (NPM) dependence is treated by doctors in specialist substance misuse treatment services and to identify perceived barriers to providing treatment. An online survey was conducted to establish current practice and whether changes [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to establish how non-prescription medicine (NPM) dependence is treated by doctors in specialist substance misuse treatment services and to identify perceived barriers to providing treatment. An online survey was conducted to establish current practice and whether changes to service provision are needed to facilitate treatment (n = 83). Semi-structured interviews, based on the Theoretical Domains Framework, were conducted to derive a detailed exploration of suggested changes (n = 11). Most survey respondents had encountered cases of NPM dependence. Analgesics containing codeine were the most frequently NPMs of dependence mentioned by respondents. Most respondents were unaware of specific guidelines for the treatment of NPM dependence. The most frequently identified barriers to providing treatment identified by interviewees were limited resources or capacity and the challenges presented by this client group. There was a perception that this client group could be difficult to treat due to comorbidities, and these this client group perceived themselves to be different from people dependent on alcohol or illicit drugs. This study identified a clear need for specific clinical guidelines for the treatment of NPM dependence. Such guidance should be appropriate for specialist and generalist clinicians as the current pressure on resources may force more treatment into general practice. Appropriate care pathways need to be established and defined, and sufficient resources allocated to accommodate this client group. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Misuse and Abuse of Medicines)
13 pages, 230 KiB  
Article
User Experiences of Prescription and Over-The-Counter Drug Abuse in Aden City, Yemen
by Ebtesam A. Abood, Jenny Scott and Mayyada Wazaify
Pharmacy 2018, 6(3), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy6030099 - 13 Sep 2018
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4769
Abstract
Khat chewing is commonplace in Yemen, but little else is known about the misuse of other drugs, especially how such misuse may intersect with Khat use. The aim of this study was to investigate misuse of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in community [...] Read more.
Khat chewing is commonplace in Yemen, but little else is known about the misuse of other drugs, especially how such misuse may intersect with Khat use. The aim of this study was to investigate misuse of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in community pharmacies in Aden city, from the users’ perspective. A qualitative in-depth-interview study was undertaken with fifteen known or suspected drug misusers, recruited through community pharmacies. Thematic analysis was used to identify the main emergent themes around experience of prescription and OTC drug misuse. The majority of interviewees were male (n = 11/15) with an age range of 21–40 years. Benzodiazepines, Tramadol, and Ketoprofen were the most commonly misused drugs. Four main themes were identified: Experience sought with drugs; awareness of problematic drug use; pattern and methods of misuse; and the role of healthcare professionals in responding to misuse. The study highlighted different issues, such as the practice of mixing different OTC and prescription drugs with Khat to heighten the effects or manage associated pain, and drug misuse by females and by health care professionals. The study also suggested that physicians and pharmacists fear counselling such people, probably with the risk of violence as a contributory factor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Misuse and Abuse of Medicines)
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