Medical Use for Drugs

 

Drugs are medications that help with pain and other medical conditions. People use prescription medications to alleviate mild to severe pain and to live a more comfortable life. When individuals use prescription drugs for purposes other than prescribed, it becomes addictive. Individuals may use prescription drugs for other reasons than prescribed. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that about 52 million Americans older than 12 have used prescription medications nonmedically at a certain point.  

 

What is a drug?

A drug contains compounds that interacts with proteins in the body to affect a physiological function. Medical use for drugs includes pain, anxiety, stress and more. Once these chemicals enter your body, they bind with certain proteins. For example, anticancer drugs bind to proteins on the surface of cancer cells. This helps to stimulates the cells to die.

 

Types of Prescription drugs

The most prescription drugs include opioids, depressants, and stimulants.

 

Opioids/Opiates

Opioids fall under Percocet, Vicodin, Morphine, Codeine, OxyContin, and Percodan. Prescription opioids are primarily used for pain, inflammation, and mood. These medicines “trick” your body into ignoring the symptoms of pain, making things a bit easier to manage.

 

Opioids work by making chemical changes in the brain. They also prompt higher amounts of dopamine, the chemical that releases reward and pleasure. The boost of dopamine is highly addictive.

 

Morphine

Morphine is the major psychoactive chemical located in the opium poppy plant. This plant helps in creating other commonly abused opiates. Morphine is an extremely addictive opiate

 

Codeine

Codeine falls under narcotic analgesics that stimulate the central nervous system and is used in treating mild to severe pain.

 

Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic. It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. It falls under Schedule II prescription drug and easily treats severe pain.

 

Vicodin

This is a combination prescription opioid that contain hydrocodone and acetaminophen. It helps in treating pain and is available in different forms. Doctors will prescribe this medication for severe pain. Keep in mind that this medication can lead to abuse.

 

Oxycontin

OxyContin is a powerful prescription drug that helps in treating postsurgical pain or chronic pain. It is another form for the narcotic drug oxycodone medicine, which is also the primary ingredient in various other drugs.

 

Both oxycontin and Vicodin are prescription opioids that are commonly abused. The risks that these medications provide is extremely high. Therefore, you should be careful when taking these medications. Pay attention to the doses to avoid overdosing.

 

Depressants

These are medicines that can help with anxiety or panic disorder. Depressants work by manipulating brain chemicals which slows down the body. They adjust the brain neurotransmitter gamma-amniobutyric acid (GABA). This chemical substance is important in the brain’s communication system.

 

Bottom line

The medical use for drugs is unlimited. Drugs are safe when you take it according to your doctors’ prescription. However, when you begin to overdose these drugs, it leads to addiction, dependence, and tolerance. Some of these drugs cause overdose and even death when consumed in high doses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medical Drug and Alcohol Treatment

 

A medical drug and alcohol treatment is suitable for someone who has a problem with drugs or alcohol. This type of treatments includes counselling, and sometimes rehab.

 

What is medical drug and alcohol treatment?

Drug and alcohol rehabilitation helps to improve the lifestyle of people. It’s the best way to reduce drugs and alcohol usage.

 

Drug and alcohol rehabilitation services offer treatment and support. These services receive funds from state and territory governments. Many are run by non-government organizations and charities.

 

Addiction treatment isn’t a one-size-fits-all. Treatments vary on your needs. You may decide to use the best treatment for you depending on the substance you're abusing. It may also depend on the level of care necessary, your personal mental health needs and more. Here are some of the most common medical drug and alcohol treatments that can be useful to patients.

 

Detoxification

Medically-assisted detox allows you to remove addictive substances from your body. This is essential because substance withdrawal causes unpleasant symptoms. Because detox won’t treat addiction, you can typically combine it with other therapies.

 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

According to American Addiction Centers, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is essential. This is because can helps with different addiction types including food addiction. CBT can help you recognize your unhealthy behavioral patterns. It also helps to identify triggers and develop coping skills. CBT works well with other therapeutic techniques.

 

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) helps users understand your negative thoughts. It also helps to battle feelings of self-defeat. REBT helps individuals realize that the power of rational thinking lies within yourself.

 

Contingency Management

Contingency Management (CM) helps in the treatment of numerous addictions including alcohol, and narcotics. Contingency management therapy also reinforces your positive behavior by providing valuable rewards. This type of treatment is successful in combating relapse.

 

12-Step Facilitation

Twelve-step facilitation therapy helps in treating alcohol and substance abuse. This form of group therapy includes recogniting that addiction has several negative impacts. This includes social, emotional, spiritual, and physical impacts. This type of therapy includes acceptance, surrender, higher power, and transitions.

 

Treatment with Medication

Medication also helps in recovery especially in combination with behavioral therapies. Medical drug and alcohol treatment medications help in reducing cravings, improve mood, and decrease addictive behaviors. For instance, lofexidine is an FDA approved medication which can help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms from opioid addiction. Medications like acamprosate also help reduce drinking behavior.

 

Bottom line

If you have drug abuse problem, you might need a medical drug and alcohol treatment procedure. You might also need detoxification to remove the drugs and alcohol from your system.

 

Rehabilitation includes counselling which enhances a change in behavior. You might also be prescription medications. If drugs and alcohol play a negative role in your mental health, you may need to consult a doctor.  

 

Rehabilitation might not work for you. Many people undergo this process more than once. But if it doesn’t initially work, you need to try something else.

Medical Drug and Alcohol Test

 

A medical drug and Alcohol test happens when a biological sample such as a blood or urine test undergoes analysis. Analyzing such a sample takes about 5 minutes and it detects drugs and alcohol in your system.

 

Metabolites are the outcome and products of metabolism. Metabolites can stay in urine for several days and they are the main particles drug tests look for. If drug tests detect the presence of drugs and alcohol or their metabolites, it shows that the substance was consumed. Consuming certain drugs is prohibited among workers. Furthermore, random Drug and Alcohol Tests determine the fitness of employees in the workplace.

 

When do companies conduct medical drug and alcohol test

Pre-Employment Drug Testing

Pre-Employment Testing ensures compliance among workers and offers drug testing solutions. It helps companies make the best and most informed employment decisions possible. It also allows companies to stay ahead of the evolving demand for workplace substance abuse.

 

Drug Testing Services to Protect Workforce

Employee drug tests, also known as substance abuse and monitoring services are essential for workplace safety. Companies with employees who are impaired by drugs or alcohol can be a danger to themselves and others. Therefore, medical and alcohol test is essential for the workplace.

 

Benefits of Pre-Employment Testing

• It reduces absenteeism
• It leads to lower accidents
• It increases productivity
• It increases security for the company

 

 

Types of medical drug and alcohol test

·         Urinalysis – A urine test mostly happens during pre-employment testing. This type of test occurs when a conditional offer of employment has been sent. A urine test detects drug metabolites long after you take the drug. Drugs can stay in your urine for a long period of time, a urine test is the best way to detect them.  Pre-employment urine drug tests usually screen for drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, and more. A urinalysis is the only federally approved mandated testing method for employee drug testing.   

 

·         Hair Testing – According to research, drugs can stay in the hair for up to 90 days. Hair tests don’t detect current use, only past. It also doesn’t detect alcohol. Common drugs found in hair samples include methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, opioids, and PCP.

 

·         Oral Fluids – Oral fluid testing is very accurate and it's difficult for employees to cheat, dilute, or adulterate the test. This test is usually done on-site reducing costs and time. Most significantly, oral fluid tests detect recent usage, especially in the few hours after drug use. The detection window of oral fluid is about one to three days for most drugs. The employee provides an oral fluid sample through a mouth swab.

 

 

Alcohol Testing

Breath Alcohol Testing (BAT)

Alcohol tests only show current levels of impairment or intoxication. It doesn’t detect past use. Breath alcohol tests are the best way to test for alcohol testing in the workplace. During this test, the person blows into a breathalyzer and the results are given as a number.

 

Return to Duty (RTD) Drug Testing

The Return-to-Duty (RTD) test usually occurs after an employee violates a company’s drug and alcohol policy. This test usually results in several actions depending on the type of job.

 

Bottom line

Medical drug and alcohol tests are vital for workplace safety. It ensures that the company works in compliance with federal law. Next time you apply for a job ensure your medical drug and alcohol test results are clean.