The number of deaths caused by accidental overdose of prescription medications outnumber overdoses by means of traditional drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

The most common source of the type of drug is opiate drugs, prescribed to relieve pain. These potent painkillers have potential for abuse due to the heroin-like effect it creates. Physicians began prescribing opiate drugs during the 1990s. The possibilities for misuse of these painkillers were underestimated and quickly became the most popular group of abused drugs. By 2007, more teenagers were using opiate drugs than marijuana.

Due to the high number of prescription drug abusers and the health risks it poses, controversy has been created in the drug-testing world. Prescription drug testing laws differ depending on where you are located in the United States.

In one case, a federal court found that is was not an invasion of privacy for employees to disclose their prescription drug use, at the time of a drug test for illegal drugs.

Although another case in a California court ruled that publication of prescription drug use was illegal as part of an exam for applicants and employees. The employer disputed the court, stating it was required to prove if a positive test for illegal drugs has a possible legal explanation. The court found this policy to violate the American with Disabilities Act and an individual’s right to privacy under the California law.

Employees in New York are protected under the Legal Activities Law. This restrains an employer from denying to hire or dismiss an employee for the use of prescription drugs during off-duty hours. Employers could take action under this law, but only if they have “an established substance abuse or alcohol program or workplace policy.”

It seems that as prescription drug abuse is on the raise, legally there is no easy way to determine if someone is abusing pain medication.  In 1988 Congress passed the Drug-Free Workplace Program. This allows employers to drug test employees and applicants focusing only on heavily illegal drug use.  Now over 20 years later the rules and programs have not changed.

The horded medications are then mixed in a large container or plastic bag (referred to as “trail mix”), and passed around the party. Pharm party attendees then ingest handfuls of multiple types of pills. Adolescents and young adults who subscribe to the pharm party culture call this “grazing”, and will sometimes wash the pills down with alcohol.

Pharm parties impose many risk factors, such as accidental overdose, mild to severe allergic reactions, and negative interactions between the various medications involved. All of these risks are exponentially raised if alcohol is also a factor since most medications’ effects are exponentially raised when combined with alcohol.

However, the risks are ever present even if alcohol is not an integral part of the pharm party. Potentially lethal overdoses of prescription and over-the-counter drugs have been on the rise, and according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, accounted for approximately 25% of all substance related hospital admissions in 2004.

Furthermore, due to the vague combination of pills that constitute “trail mix”, an individual has a much higher probability of having a potentially fatal allergic reaction or drug interaction at pharm parties than at any other given time. In addition, countermeasures for these interactions become confounded by the fact that the pharm party patient cannot inform Emergency Medical Technicians or hospital staff about what specific medications he or she has ingested.

With escalating death tolls and drug treatment program admissions related to pharmaceutical medications, a more comprehensive stance must be made to stop prescription drug abuse. Since most youths obtain medications from the family medicine cabinet, eliminating access to pill supplies and instating home drug testing procedures are practical measures that families can take to help curb the occurrence of these dangerous parties.

If you suspect that your child or young adult is attending a pharm party, ask them openly and honestly. Communication is the best tool. A viable second option is home drug testing kits for prescription pills. The most commonly abused substances such as Vicodin, Xanax and Ritalin are all detectable in a standard urine drug test.

For more information, please visit: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-06-12-teens-pharm-drugs_x.htm or the National Institute of Drug Abuse’s guide for parents and educators http://www.nida.nih.gov/prevention/index.html.

Prescription drug testing kits are specially designed to detect trace amounts of commonly abused pills such as Oxycontin Vicodin, Valium, Xanax and Percoset . If you suspect your children may be abusing prescription pills, you can utilize parent drug testing as a highly effective preventative measure. Making every effort to keep your children drug free is an essential part of parenthood, so it is crucial to take advantage of home drug testing to protect your family from prescription pill addiction.

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One of the most dangerous components of prescription drug abuse is the presence of opiates in most painkillers. Opiates, contained in prescription drugs like Vicodin and Loratab, are extremely addictive substances which can quickly consume a person’s life. Opiate drug testing kits are a great resource and can be used to detect traces of opiates for up to a week after they were consumed. More powerful and harmful drugs, such as heroin, morphine, or methadone, can also be detected by opiate drug testing kits.

http://www.nationalpost.com/m/story.html?id=1298048

The latest innovations in employment drug testing have targeted the rise in prescription drug abuse. Prescription drug testing kits have become the tool of choice for employers seeking to safeguard their workplace. These kits are simple to use, and will detect commonly abused prescription drugs such as Vicodin, Oxycontin, Adderall, and Hydrocodone. Employers can use prescription drug testing kits to dissuade workers from abusing painkillers or mood-altering prescriptions, while also protecting their business assets.

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2005/09/26/focus5.html

While anti-anxiety drugs may have a genuine purpose, the fact remains that countless people across the country have been consumed by addiction to these powerful substances. The benzodiazepine drug test can be used to easily detect the presence of mood altering chemicals, up to 7 days after the drugs were consumed. For conscientious parents or vigilant employers, the benzodiazepine drug test is the best option for preventing the abuse of anti-anxiety drugs.

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/archive/27408/