Half of 10-17 Year Olds Are Misusing Their Prescription Medications

Quest Diagnostics recently released their Health Trends[R] study, Prescription Drug Misuse in America: Diagnostic Insights in the Continuing Drug Epidemic Battle. Here are some key findings from the report:

·         1 in 2 patients between the ages of 10 and 17 years are not using their medications appropriately.

·         In 2011, 70% of adolescents showed evidence of prescription drug misuse.

·         The overall rate of prescription drug misuse for all ages was 53% in 2014, compared to 63% in 2011.

·         In adults aged 30 and older, the two drug groups most likely to be misused were oxycodone and opiates.

·         Patients who did not take their medications consistently increased from 40% in 2011 to 44% in 2014.

·         35% of patients in 2014 combined drugs without a clinician's oversight, compared to 32% in 2011.

Source: Quest Diagnostics, September 10, 2015