Many seniors take prescription medications that may be highly sought after by someone who has a history of substance abuse. Caregivers, family members, and others who are addicted to narcotics, medications used to treat anxiety, and other prescription drugs may find it rather easy to divert drugs from a senior, particularly when the person is on multiple medications. Learn how to recognize signs that prescription drugs are being diverted in order to protect the senior who needs care.
Signs of Drug Diversion
Any senior who has prescriptions for pain medications, stimulants, medicine to control anxiety and panic attacks, or certain other potentially habit-forming medicines may be at risk for having drugs diverted by a caregiver or others. Others may have access to the senior’s medications, whether the person resides in a home, apartment, assisted living community, long-term care facility, or is homeless.
Sometimes the efforts to obtain prescription drugs may be obvious. A helper may ask for pain pills in return for providing some sort of service, for example. The person may ask for prescription drugs while describing his or her unbearable pain or anxiety so that she will be able to provide care for the senior.
People who are diverting prescription drugs may also be more covert, either from the beginning or when a senior stops agreeing to let the person take his or her medications. She may remove pills from among many that are given at the same time with the hope that the senior will not notice. He might substitute another pill for the drug desired while either replacing the entire bottle or substituting another drug as he administers each dose.
The person who is addicted to prescription medications may readily offer to pick up refills of medications while removing some or all of the pills from the bottle before returning. If refills run out too quickly, they may then suggest that the senior is having memory problems and must have taken extra doses by mistake or that doses were dropped or lost some other way.
The person who is addicted may administer the prescription drugs properly while providing care but make substitutions that will affect the care others are providing, which can make it more difficult to determine who is actually diverting the prescriptions if multiple caregivers are assisting with medication administration. The person who is addicted may readily point to others as likely suspects.
Several clues or red flags may indicate that prescription medicine is being diverted, such as:
- Certain medications are missing during drug administration times.
- Pills look different when certain caregivers are providing care.
- Medications do not look like previous ones.
- The medicine does not work properly.
- Medications are often “lost.”
- The senior is encouraged to purchase only brand name medicine (resell value is higher).
- Prescriptions run out before refills are available.
- The senior is encouraged to seek emergency care for minor issues after hours while attempting to get added prescriptions from various caregivers (example of "doctor shopping").
Physical and Mental Symptoms of Prescription Drug Addiction
Some people may divert a senior’s prescription medications in order to give or sell them to others. Others may take the medications themselves. People who are addicted to narcotics, anxiety medications, and other drugs may display mood swings, obsessions and compulsions related to the medications, and behavior that can be rather unpredictable and may increase if the drug is not available.
Symptoms may be more or less severe depending on the dosage, previous history of drug abuse, or how the medication is administered. For example, someone addicted to pain medications may crush a long-acting narcotic and snort the powder or dissolve and inject the drug in order to get a quicker and more noticeable effect. The use of other prescription drugs, illicit drugs, or the use of alcohol or nicotine can also produce added short-term and long-term risks.
Symptoms also differ depending on the type of drug being diverted. The following general symptoms are mentioned in the Essex District Attorney’s web page entitled “ Prescription Drug Abuse: What Parents Need to Know ” accessed on July 22, 2010:
Narcotics and other pain relievers may cause the person to be:
- sleepy
- nauseated
- constipated
- confused
Stimulants may make the person:
- nervous
- unable to sleep
- less hungry
- lose weight
- more energetic
Depressants (medicine for anxiety) may produce symptoms of:
- forgetfulness and the inability to concentrate
- poor judgment
- feeling tired
- problems with coordination
Misuse of prescription drugs may lead to serious side effects that include changes in pulse, blood pressure, and breathing, some of which are potentially fatal. Drug interactions can easily occur if the person is taking more than one medication.
Seniors Should Watch for Signs of Drug Diversion
Many older adults are prescribed medications for legitimate health concerns, but those drugs can easily fall into the hands of someone else who has drug seeking behavior. By watching for signs of drug diversion and physical and mental symptoms of drug use, a senior may discover that his or her prescriptions are being handled improperly.
Readers may also wish to read Safe Use of Drug Prescriptions and Over-the-Counter Medications, Vision Changes in Seniors May Lead to Medication Errors, and Medicines and Drinks That Don't Mix: Medicine Nutrient Interactions.
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. A senior who suspects that his or her medications are being diverted should seek professional help and ensure that his or her own safety is secure as this situation is potentially very dangerous.
Additional Source:
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) article entitled “Narcotics” accessed on July 22, 2010
Katrena Wells - Katrena Wells is a RN in NC with 17 1/2 years of experience in oncology, an educator since 1995, and has taught exercise classes since ...
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