It’s not Okay! The Importance of Educating our Population Taking Prescribed Controlled Substances, Regarding the Risks for Dependency and Addiction

Abstract

This article will focus on the major narcotic, and opioid prescription epidemic that is overpowering our nation destroying lives, families, and resulting in death. As healthcare professionals, nursing educators, family nurse practitioner, and Doctor of Nursing Practice with prescription privileges in New York State, in our scopes of practice we always inform and educate all individuals we care for concerning all medications they are prescribed. While we have sought to achieve this educational goal in our professional capacity, as human beings with medical issues like anyone else, we have also been the patients. Our life altering experiences resulted in extensive hospital stays and physical rehabilitation therapy, which required the need of opiate, controlled medications during our inpatient and outpatient recoveries. What we found alarming about the state of our care was not the management of the injuries we sustained, but the lack of education that should have been directed towards us and our families, regarding the use and discontinuance of prescribed opioids upon discharge. We personally observed that there is an overall lack of education in this area. As healthcare practitioners, we are all on the front line and serve to ensure safety of all individuals and the diverse populations we serve. Everyone in healthcare beginning with prescribers, medical staff, and nursing staff, must have the knowledge to explain to the patient and family what a controlled substance is, as well as the inherent risk of becoming addicted, tapering methods, signs and symptoms of withdrawal, and a basic understanding of the dangers that become apparent with self-administration of controlled substances upon discharge. Without proper education, many community populations are at risk for harm. Education is indeed the key and a priority at the forefront of medicine and nursing that ensures patients and their families have a thorough understanding of all the risks associated with these potent narcotics.