title: Medical misuse of controlled medications among adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the past-year medical misuse prevalence for 4 controlled medication classes (pain, stimulant, sleeping, and antianxiety) among adolescents, and to assess substance use outcomes among adolescents who report medical misuse.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Web-based survey was self-administered by 2744 secondary school students in 2009-2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two southeastern Michigan school districts.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample had a mean age of 14.8 years and was 51.1% female. The racial/ethnic distribution was 65.0% white, 29.5% African American, 3.7% Asian, 1.3% Hispanic, and 0.5% other.
  
  
  METHODS
  Past-year medical use and misuse of 4 controlled medication classes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen percent of the sample reported past-year medical use of at least 1 prescribed controlled medication. Among past-year medical users, 22.0% reported misuse of their controlled medications, including taking too much, intentionally getting high, or using to increase alcohol or other drug effects. Medical misusers were more likely than nonmisusers to divert their controlled medications and to abuse other substances. The odds of a positive screening result for drug abuse were substantially higher among medical misusers (adjusted odds ratio, 7.8; 95% confidence interval, 4.3-14.2) compared with medical users who used their controlled medications appropriately. The odds of drug abuse did not differ between medical users who used their controlled medications appropriately and nonusers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most adolescents who used controlled medications took their medications appropriately. Substance use and diversion of controlled medications were more prevalent among adolescents who misused their controlled medications. Careful therapeutic monitoring could reduce medical misuse and diversion of controlled medications among adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research on Women and Gender, University of Michigan, 204 S State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1290, USA. plius@umich.edu
authors.forename: Sean Esteban
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: McCabe
authors.forename: Brady T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cranford
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ross-Durow
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Christian J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Teter
authors.forename: Carol J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Boyd
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D020407:Internet; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives