A Web-Based Program to Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Prescription medications are an effective way to bring improvements in the health of numerous individuals, however, many patients fail to receive proper education and counseling prior to the initiation and during the course of a pharmaceutical treatment. Critical to this issue is the fact that medications such as tranquilizers, sedatives, analgesics, and stimulants have the potential for abuse and may lead to drug misuse, dependence, and addiction if not administered and managed properly. Data from the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse indicated that the misuse and abuse of prescription medications is on the rise. While drug abuse affects many Americans, the National Institute on Drug Abuse recently noted that there appears to be increased concern for older adults, adolescents, and women. The purpose of the current project is to develop and test an innovative web-based educational program designed to prevent prescription drug abuse among working women. The program will contain important information on the safe use of medications with abuse potential and on alternatives to taking medications. During Phase I of the project, the prototype structure and content were developed and tested with focus groups of working women. In Phase II, the program will be expanded, field-tested, revised, and prepared for marketing.