Aberrant Prescription Medication Seeking Behavior Used by Prescription Drug Users to Obtain Prescription Medications from Physicians: A Qualitative Review of Webpages, Blogs and Forums

Background: Non-medical use of prescription medications is a public health concern. Individuals who suffer from substance dependence utilize a variety of aberrant behaviors to obtain prescription medications. They share their methods and experiences with others in social media and online platforms and educate each other on how to manipulate the providers, so that they can successfully obtain their medications of choice.

Objectives: The main objective of this qualitative study was to review the content of webpages, blogs, and forums to explore the most common approaches shared by individuals with prescription medication dependence to obtain such medications.

Methods: We used a combination of keywords to search five main search engines: Google, Yahoo, Bing, MSN and AOL. Our search strategy focused on two categories of medications: opioid painkillers and stimulants. The following keywords were used for the purpose of this search: Tylenol 3, Tylenol #3, T3, Morphine, Hydrompohone, Dilaudid, Dexedrine, Ritalin/Adderall, and Pain Medications.

Results: Qualitative analysis of the verbatim revealed 5 themes and 34 sub-themes. Over-reporting the side effects of undesired alternatives, under-reporting of the therapeutic effects of the medication of choice, knowing the symptoms of the illness in advance of a visit, and threatening doctors about making complaints against them were among the most common aberrant behaviors recommended online.

Conclusion: Individuals with prescription medication dependence use a variety of aberrant medication seeking behaviors to obtain their medications of choice. They use online discussion to share these approaches with other patients. Prevention of prescription medication abuse requires a multidisciplinary approach and engagement of all stakeholders.