Prescription Opiates

Prescription Opiates

Introduction

Opiate refers to the drugs that originate from opium, and are used for the treatment of daily pain as well as the injuries, wounds and the pain caused by surgeries. Opiate drugs are either naturally or synthetically derived from opium and most of them are illegal, while some are also legally available upon prescription. The most essential and important point regarding opiate drugs is the fact that these are available only in prescription, and cannot be obtained otherwise. The opiate drugs can cause addiction, and thus only small amounts of these are available only on prescription.

Discussion

Opiates are generally used for the treatment of pain and some of them are also considered significant for curing cough. As these can cause addiction, they are used in small amounts and are not accessible by everyone: only the individuals with prescription can make use of these drugs. The most common opiate drugs include Morphine, Codeine, Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Methadone, Fentanyl and Meperidine. Most of these drugs are used to relieve pain and the feelings of euphoria, some used in severe pains while others work for mild pain as well (Havens, et al, 2009). The most essential point to note over here is: that most of these drugs can only be sold in specific amounts, and their extra sale can cause legal action against the seller. Thus, prescription is required for their sales and it should also be noted that these prescription are often misused as well, and specific measures need to be taken in order to avoid this negative use.

Positive and Negative effects of Prescription Opiates

There are several effects of opiates, with some of them being positive and the others are negative. Although opiates are prescribed by doctors due to their positive usage, but it is eminent to mention here that their negative effects ...