Generation Rx: The Science Behind Prescription Drug Abuse

We are Generation Rx.

As a society, we have become more and more “pharmaceuticalized”. We expect a quick fix for almost any medical problem. We refer to ample amounts of medical information (or mis-information) online, sometimes without the guidance of a health professional. We are taking prescription and over-the-counter medications at unprecedented rates, and there are benefits to this phenomenon, including in many cases, improved disease treatment. Sadly, a darker consequence has also emerged: the epidemic rise of injuries and fatalities due to prescription drug abuse.

This course uses science to investigate the prevalence, dangers, and misperceptions regarding this growing health problem. Using a myth-busting design, we will investigate the biology behind both therapeutic and illicit drug action and tie that biology to the real dangers of abusing prescription drugs. Additionally, we will explore societal influences on drug-taking behaviors and identify best medication-taking practices for our benefit as well as others’.



All lectures and instructional materials developed for this course by the Ohio State University are licensed under the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Module One: What is Generation Rx?
Module Two: Myth - Everyone else is doing it, so why shouldn't I?
Module Three: Myth - Prescription drugs must be safer than street drugs.
Module Four: Myth - It is only a problem if I'm trying to get high.
Module Five: Myth - Prescription drugs cannot be addictive.
Module Six: Where to go from here...