Drug Abuse

Many older adults complicate their health with the misuse of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. When a medication does not require your doctor’s prescription, don’t assume that it is automatically safe. Over-the-counter-drugs include health supplements of all kinds. A person’s physical health, the other drugs being taken, the effect of any drug with alcohol, the quantity of the drug and the weight and age of the user are all complicating factors. What are the effects of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs on seniors? Older

New research suggests that the opioid epidemic is not only a public health crisis but an economic crisis as well. A recently published paper by Alan Krueger, Professor of Economics at Princeton University, suggests that the widespread use of opioid painkillers may be linked to declining workforce participation among American men aged 24 -54. His analysis provides evidence that these powerfully addictive medications may even be responsible for 20% of the drop in the labor-force among this demographic. As practitioners

  As nurses working in the field of addiction know, the presence of chronic pain can significantly prevent our clients from focusing on their recovery and experiencing the everyday joys of living. Many individuals arrive at Origins Behavioral Healthcare to receive treatment after taking prescription opioid medications long-term that they didn’t realized were highly addictive such as Oxycontin and Vicodin.   Prescription drug misuse is often accidental since the pain actually gets worse the longer the opiates are used. Individuals

The Mount Airy News- By Terri Flagg DOBSON — Surry County might lag behind the rest of the country in certain respects, but when it comes to the latest drug trends, being behind the times is not necessarily a bad thing. The key is to keep it there. “If drug use is behind the times and awareness in law enforcement, health care professionals and the community is right with the times, that’s the best combination,” John Dyben, DHSc, director of older