Preventing Nonmedical Use of Controlled Prescription Medications: AAP Guidance/ Prévenir l’utilisation non médicale de médicaments contrôlés: Guidance de l’AAP

AAP News, with comments from Dr. Nicholas Chadi, November 18, 2024

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warns that the nonmedical use of controlled prescription medications carries high risk. While teens and young adults might think a pill is safe because it appears to be a prescribed drug or comes from a trusted source, they can be tragically mistaken.

In a new clinical report, “Nonmedical Use of Controlled Medications by Adolescents and Young Adults,” the AAP says adolescents and young adults are especially vulnerable to risky behavior related to nonmedical use of controlled medications. This is in part due to developmental imbalances as the brain matures.

The clinical report, published in the December 2024 Pediatrics details ways to reduce risk, including a recommendation that pediatricians counsel families about safely storing their medications.

Prescription drugs commonly misused by young people

“Young people may be seeking a ‘high’ or taking a friend’s stimulant medication that was prescribed for ADHD, or attempting to self-medicate,” said Nicholas Chadi, MD, MPH, FRCPC, FAAP, lead author of the clinical report, written by the AAP Committee on Substance Use and Prevention.

“The nonmedical use of prescriptions is common among youth. But often they can’t be certain about the ingredients in that medication or how their body will react to it, and increasingly, we see the potency of substances going up,” Dr. Chadi said.

“Sometimes a pill may look like it came from someone’s medicine cabinet but is a copycat or “counterfeit” pill that contains dangerous ingredients such as fentanyl, a synthetic opioid.” (Read more)

Also, see accompanying educational video and AAP news blog article