Nonmedical prescription drug use of analgesics and sedatives/hypnotics in Taiwan: Results from the 2014 National Survey of Substance Use

Lian-Yu Chen^{1

2}, Yi-Lung Chen¹, Wen-Ing Tsay³, Shang-Chi Wu¹, Yen-Tyng Chen^{4

5}, Po-Chang Hsiao^{1

6}, Ya-Hui Yu¹, Te-Tien Ting⁷, Chuan-Yu Chen^{8

9

10}, Yu-Kang Tu^{1

8}, Jiun-Hau Huang^{8

11}, Hao-Jan Yang¹², Chung-Yi Li¹³, Carol Strong¹³, Cheng-Fang Yen¹⁴, Chia-Feng Yen¹⁵, Jui Hsu³, Wei J Chen^{1

6

8}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, 17 Xu-Zhou Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
² Department of Addiction Psychiatry and Kunming Prevention and Control Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
³ Division of Controlled Drugs, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), Ministry of Health and Welfare, Executive Yuan, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁴ Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, Chicago, USA.
⁵ Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA.
⁶ Centers of Genomic and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁷ School of Big Data Management, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁸ Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁹ Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
¹⁰ Center of Neuropsychiatric Research, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli County, Taiwan.
¹¹ Institute of Health Behaviors and Community Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
¹² Department of Public Health, College of Health Care and Management, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
¹³ Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
¹⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital & School of Medicine and Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
¹⁵ Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.

PMID: 31193512
PMCID: PMC6531913
DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2019.100900

Nonmedical prescription drug use of analgesics and sedatives/hypnotics in Taiwan: Results from the 2014 National Survey of Substance Use

Lian-Yu Chen et al. Prev Med Rep. 2019.

. 2019 May 19:15:100900.

doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2019.100900. eCollection 2019 Sep.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, 17 Xu-Zhou Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
² Department of Addiction Psychiatry and Kunming Prevention and Control Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
³ Division of Controlled Drugs, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), Ministry of Health and Welfare, Executive Yuan, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁴ Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, Chicago, USA.
⁵ Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA.
⁶ Centers of Genomic and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁷ School of Big Data Management, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁸ Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁹ Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
¹⁰ Center of Neuropsychiatric Research, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli County, Taiwan.
¹¹ Institute of Health Behaviors and Community Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
¹² Department of Public Health, College of Health Care and Management, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
¹³ Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
¹⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital & School of Medicine and Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
¹⁵ Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.

PMID: 31193512
PMCID: PMC6531913
DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2019.100900

Abstract

Nonmedical prescription drug use (NMPDU) has become a major public health issue but little is known in Asian populations. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of NMPDU in Taiwan. Participants from the 2014 national survey of 17,837 individuals, aged 12 to 64 year, completed anonymously a computer-assisted self-interview. Past-year prescription drug use was divided into medical use only (MUO) and nonmedical use (NMU), defined as using the drug without a prescription, or more frequently, or in larger doses than prescribed. Problematic alcohol use was measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), problematic drug use using the 20-item Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST), and depressive symptoms using the Center for Epidemiological Study-Depression (CES-D). The prevalence of past-year NMU was 3.02% for analgesics, 0.71% for sedatives/hypnotics, and 3.66% for either drug, with a very small overlap of NMU between analgesics and sedatives/hypnotics (0.07%). When individuals with NMU were compared to those without NMU (Non-NMU) and those with MUO, respectively, some correlates consistently identified, including young adulthood, tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, and greater AUDIT's scores for analgesics, as well as hard drug use and greater DAST's scores for sedatives/hypnotics. NMU was associated with greater CES-D's scores for both analgesics and sedatives/hypnotics when compared to Non-NMU but not to MUO. Robust correlates of NMPDU could offer implications for development of prevention strategies of NMPDU.

Keywords: Analgesics; Illicit drug; Nonmedical use; Sedatives/hypnotics; Substance use.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Nonmedical prescription drug use of analgesics and sedatives/hypnotics in Taiwan: Results from the 2014 National Survey of Substance Use

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Nonmedical prescription drug use of analgesics and sedatives/hypnotics in Taiwan: Results from the 2014 National Survey of Substance Use

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