Between 1994-2007 young adult prescription rates for controlled medications nearly doubled
Science Daily’s article, “Prescriptions for Teens and Young Adults on the Rise” documents some alarming statistics:
“The study found that between 1994 and 2007, prescription rates for controlled medications nearly doubled from 8.3 to 16.1 percent among young adults and rose from 6.4 to 11.2 percent in adolescents.”
The article continues:
“Physicians must balance the need to treat patients’ symptoms while remaining aware of the possibility that prescription medications can be misused or shared with others. At times, it can be a delicate balance between treating a problem and inadvertently causing one,” said Robert J. Fortuna, M.D., M.P.H., principal investigator of the study and assistant professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center.”
To read the full story, please click here.
References:
University of Rochester Medical Center (2010, November 30). Prescriptions for teens and young adults on the rise. Science Daily.
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