In the United States, a prescription is required for many of the medications we take regularly. Indeed, safe and effective use of any prescription drug is a partnership between the healthcare professional who signs that slip of paper and you, the patient. Yet a recent study shows that medication sharing – loaning prescription drugs without authorization -- is a common practice.
In a study reported in the American Journal of Public Health (Volume 98, page 1115) about a quarter of people admitted loaning or borrowing prescription medications, putting themselves and others at risk.
Researchers interviewed 700 people in 10 U.S. cities. About 23% said they had loaned medications to others and 27% said they had borrowed other people's drugs. Among the more commonly "shared" medications were allergy drugs, pain relievers, and antibiotics. The leading scenarios in which they would be most likely to share medications were if it came from a family member, they ran out of a medication or did not have it with them, or there was an emergency.
Medication sharing can be dangerous because recipients haven't been evaluated by a doctor to know whether a given medication is safe for them. A classic example is sharing of acne drugs that cause birth defects in pregnant women or women who could become pregnant.
People may also self-diagnose a medical condition and then borrow medications in hopes of treating it. The treatment might end up being ineffective, allowing the health condition to worsen, or the treatment could be harmful.
The widespread sharing of antibiotics also poses a risk for society at large. Taking these medications improperly can foster the growth of antibiotic-resistant infections that may prove much more difficult to treat when a doctor finally gets involved.
