Misuse of medication
Essay:
Misuse of medication
Dirk J Booysen
Introduction.
The extent of the problem of medication misuse can perhaps be realised most fully when considering that it involves not only prescribed drugs and medications, but also polypharmacy (using more than one drug concurrently), self-diagnosis which leads to over the counter (OTC) self-medication or the dispensing of medication by a pharmacist without an accurate diagnosis or recommendations for the correct use of the medication, and the nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers and other medications. All medication and drugs carry risks and, if these risks are not managed by a health care professional such as a doctor or specialist, they can be harmful and even life threatening to a person.
The Concise Oxford English dictionary (2006:915) defines misuse as “use wrongly.” When a person takes any legal prescription medication for a reason other than the purpose for which it has been prescribed, is regarded as the misuse of medication. Additionally, if a person takes any medication not specifically prescribed for him or her, or takes medication or drugs not in the manner or dose as prescribed by a health care professional, he or she is misusing the medication because, in fact, he or she is treating him- or herself.
This essay highlights some of the complexities of the problem of medication misuse, concluding with the misuse of topical OTC and prescription ophthalmic drugs.
Misuse of prescription medication.
The misuse of medication and drugs as prescribed by a health care provider involves three aspects, namely, compliance, adherence, and concordance. Compliance is the degree to which a patient follows the prescribed regimen of medicines; adherence refers to the degree to which a patient follows the rules, guidelines and recommendations from a health care professional; and concordance pertains to the agreed upon opinions, actions and recommendations between the patient and prescriber or
Misuse of medication
Dirk J Booysen
Introduction.
The extent of the problem of medication misuse can perhaps be realised most fully when considering that it involves not only prescribed drugs and medications, but also polypharmacy (using more than one drug concurrently), self-diagnosis which leads to over the counter (OTC) self-medication or the dispensing of medication by a pharmacist without an accurate diagnosis or recommendations for the correct use of the medication, and the nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers and other medications. All medication and drugs carry risks and, if these risks are not managed by a health care professional such as a doctor or specialist, they can be harmful and even life threatening to a person.
The Concise Oxford English dictionary (2006:915) defines misuse as “use wrongly.” When a person takes any legal prescription medication for a reason other than the purpose for which it has been prescribed, is regarded as the misuse of medication. Additionally, if a person takes any medication not specifically prescribed for him or her, or takes medication or drugs not in the manner or dose as prescribed by a health care professional, he or she is misusing the medication because, in fact, he or she is treating him- or herself.
This essay highlights some of the complexities of the problem of medication misuse, concluding with the misuse of topical OTC and prescription ophthalmic drugs.
Misuse of prescription medication.
The misuse of medication and drugs as prescribed by a health care provider involves three aspects, namely, compliance, adherence, and concordance. Compliance is the degree to which a patient follows the prescribed regimen of medicines; adherence refers to the degree to which a patient follows the rules, guidelines and recommendations from a health care professional; and concordance pertains to the agreed upon opinions, actions and recommendations between the patient and prescriber or
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