5 Identifiers of Prescription Drug Abuse in the Workplace

Prescription drugs, notably some antidepressants and OTC drugs, are frequently abused. These drugs can cause serious performance and safety issues. A good drug and alcohol screening system can prevent any workplace problems.

It should be understood that the term “prescription drugs” refers to the class of drugs dispensed by a Chemist. It does not mean that drugs have necessarily been obtained legitimately on prescription. Some people do abuse prescription drugs they get from their doctors, but others obtain prescription drugs through the black market or by fraudulently approaching doctors.

In all cases, problems are exacerbated by the fact that abuse may relate to a very wide possible range of drugs. A standard drug and alcohol test is the first step to identifying and dealing with the problems. The health effects of prescription drug abuse can be severe. None of these drugs should be be called “recreational” when misused.

All of them are potentially very dangerous. Many prescription drugs are classified as poisons, and they can do serious damage to anyone who takes excessive doses. Some drugs like anti depressants are a particularly risky class of prescription drug to abuse. They can trigger serious psychological episodes, including psychotic attacks and suicides. There can also be catastrophic effects when some are mixed with Alcohol.

The visible effects of prescription drugs abuse

The effects of prescription drugs abuse can be all too obvious. Managers are advised to consider the sensitivities of other staff members in severe episodes. In some instances, emergency medical assistance may be required.

The effects of serious prescription drug abuse include:

Loss of control of bodily functions
Tremors, spasmodic movements
Apparent lack of self control
Vomiting
Collapse or unconsciousness
Frightening, odd behavior

Work related indicators of prescription drugs abuse

There are several typical indicators of abuse which can be observed through the workplace:

Behavioral and coordination issues

Behavioral indicators can be strong indicators of a drug abuse problem. The most common signs are:

Surprisingly foolish, stupid behavior and incidents
Thefts in the workplace
Withdrawn, hostile, or uncommunicative behavior where these are unusual traits.
Deteriorating, unhealthy personal appearance
Odd smells
Secretive behavior

Productivity signs

Work performance is a very reliable indicator of problems. Common issues related to drug abuse include:

High rate of uncharacteristic errors
Very inconsistent work performance with marked deteriorations in quality of work
Lack of productivity resulting in backlogs and bad management of workloads
Frequent complaints from other staff regarding performance of tasks and standards of work

Aggression, mood swings, emotional overreactions

The nature of many drugs often results in behavioral changes which are reliable indicators of abuse. Some of the psychological effects of prescription drug abuse are shocking and appalling.

Typical psychological effects include:

Aggression: An irrational, antagonistic mentality with no obvious cause.

Mood swings: These can be a bewildering range of moods from tearful to high spirited to distinctly unfriendly, in a matter of minutes

Emotional overreactions: Disproportionate reactions to situations, positive or negative, sometimes embarrassing.