May, T;
Holloway, K;
Buhociu, M;
Huggett, M;
(2019)
Misuse of prescription only medication and over-the-counter-medication among drug users.
University of South Wales: Cardiff, UK.
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Abstract
This report presents the results of a study that investigated the misuse and diversion of prescription-only-medication and over-the-counter-medication (POM/OTC) among people who use illegal drugs. The study was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of South Wales in collaboration with Dr Rhian Hills from the Substance Misuse Policy Branch within the Welsh Government. The research was undertaken across Wales and was based on qualitative interviews with a sample of people who had lived experience of prescription drug misuse, and also included an online questionnaire survey completed by professionals working within the field of substance misuse. The main aim of the study was to identify the causes, patterns and consequences of POM/OTC misuse and diversion among people with a history of illegal drug use. For the purpose of this document in relation to POM/OTC use, we have used the term nonmedical prescription drug use and its associated acronym (NMPDU) to refer to the misuse of prescription-only medication. Definitions of key terms are presented below and followed by information about the prevalence of NMPDU among both the general and drug-using population. This is then followed by a brief overview of the potential harms that are associated with this behaviour and the responses that are often used to try to counteract it. The study ends with brief chapter summaries to provide readers with an overview of the report structure and content.
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