Out of the Pan and into the Fire: How Prescriptions May Trigger Relapse

• In Event: Perspectives on Drug Use, Abuse, & Desistance

Abstract

Prescription drug abuse, which is the use of a medication without a prescription or in a way other than as prescribed, is increasing among all age groups in the United States (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2014). The consequences of this abuse are many including disrupted families, employment stoppages, physical and mental health problems, and death. In particular, opiate painkillers like OxyContin and Vicodin are increasingly being used interchangeably with heroin by those struggling with addiction (Levy, 2007). This paper will examine qualitative narratives from a long-term cohort of drug-involved offenders originally released from prison in the 1990s to investigate the interrelationship between illicit and prescription drug addiction. As much of the cohort was drug-addicted, a nontrivial proportion of respondents reported mental and physical health complications for which clinicians often prescribed medication. Unfortunately for some, these prescription drugs triggered their illicit substance abuse relapse. This paper will explore the how the medicalization of deviant behavior goes unchecked for groups with access to care, however scant, and why researchers and practitioners must consider the policy implications of prescription disbursement for vulnerable populations.

Authors

• Erin M. Kerrison, University of Pennsylvania

• Ronet Bachman, University of Delaware