More Americans than ever—some 50 million—report suffering from chronic pain and may be taking pain medications. This reality can have a profound effect on safety in the workplace, not only because some of these meds have potentially dangerous side effects, but also because more people are becoming addicted and may continue using the drugs even after they’re not medically required.
Other prescriptions are also highly addictive and can cause safety problems in the workplace. According to the National Institute on Drugs’ (NID) Prescription Drugs Abuse and Addiction report (www.nida.nih.gov/PDF/RRPrescription.pdf), the most commonly abused prescription drugs are:
- Opoids, used mostly to manage pain
- Central nervous system depressants, used for anxiety and sleep disorders
- Stimulants, used for some sleep disorders and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Certain over-the-counter (OTC) medications can also have dangerous side effects and be abused. Make sure you and your workers are aware of the possible addictive or abusive dangers in OTC meds such as:
- Cough suppressants
- Sleep aids
- Antihistamines
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Advise your workers on how to avoid becoming addicted to legal drugs. The NID report recommends following these precautions:
- Inform your healthcare provider about all the prescriptions, OTC medicines, and dietary and herbal supplements you are taking.
- Give your healthcare provider a full description of your condition before you obtain any other medications.
- Follow the prescribed directions.
- Know the potential interactions with other drugs.
- Don’t stop or change a dosing regimen without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.
- Don’t use another person’s prescription.
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The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) relates some common signals that a worker may be addicted to drugs or alcohol, including legal medications. Use these clues yourself and pass them on to workers to help them recognize problems in co-workers—or themselves. Workers with addiction problems may have:
- Inconsistent work quality
- Poor concentration
- Reduced productivity
- Increased absenteeism and lateness
- Unexplained disappearances from the jobsite
- Carelessness leading to mistakes
- Errors in judgment
- Risk-taking actions
- Disregard for safety
- Extended lunch periods and early departures
Help your workers stay healthy and safe by knowing about the possible dangers of prescription and OTC medications when not used properly.
Why It Matters
- Around 20 percent of Americans use prescription drugs for a purpose other than the one for which the drugs were prescribed.
- In one recent year, 4.7 million Americans used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons for the first time.
- Of those, 2.5 million used pain relievers.
- 1.2 million used tranquilizers.
- 761,000 used stimulants.
- 225,000 used sedatives.