Dangers of Sharing Prescription Medication
By Jenny Ursworth

It's becoming a big problem, especially among this country's teenagers. More and more it's being discovered that people are trying and sharing prescriptions not meant for them. Because this is becoming such a big problem as well as a dangerous one, studies are being done to find
out just exactly why this is becoming such a big problem in hopes that a resolution can be made to stop the sharing of prescriptions.

Studies have already found that more teenage girls, than boys are doing this. Why is not quite known, but over 13% of teenage girls say they have either taken someone else's prescription, or have given their own prescription to someone else. The sharing of prescriptions start out
innocently enough most times. Someone has a friend who's in pain or "stressed out" and another friend offers up what they take to relieve them of the same problem.

The girls claim they share their meds with a friend because she takes the same meds and is out at the time needed, or a parent uses the same meds and they don't feel that sharing is bad because the medication is the same. It's still not understood why girls do this more than boys, other than girls seem to go through more "growing pains" than boys do.
 
 

Even though the intention of sharing the medications with friends starts out innocently enough, it can still be a costly mistake because doses may be different for one person and not the other. Even vitamins should not be shared with others because what works for one may cause health problems for another. For example, if medicine is prescribed to work with that person's own chemistry. Another person's chemistry may be different and if given the same type of medicine, could cause a terrible reaction with another person's chemistry.

Drugs that cause birth defects, such as an teratogenic prescription are a huge concern among doctors and pharmacists. A young woman taking someone else's teratogenic prescription and not knowing she is pregnant, can cause serious damage to her unborn child. Sharing prescription
medications is becoming such a trend that teenagers are turning from the harder street drugs such as crack, ecstasy, and crystal meth, because their using their parents or grandparents prescription medication. This "new trend" of teenage drug abuse has been branded "Generation X," because the problem is becoming so serious.

With parents taking drugs for anxiety, depression, migraines, pain, and so on, the medicine cabinets are full. For the curious teenager or one that has a "friend" who wants drugs, the pills are there for the taking. If you have a child or teenager, this is the prime time to talk to him or her about the dangers of prescription medication sharing. Hopefully, educating your child about the consequences of such action would be enough to change his or her mind from trying it.
 
 
 
The Author 
 
Jenny Ursworth runs the website and writes for D Prescription, inc. http://www.dprescription.com A site totally dedicated to researching Prescription related topics and contains details of the latest pharmaceutical products. Please visit http://www.dprescription.com if you have any questions or comments concerning this article.
 
Article Posted: April 02, 2007