About RX Drug Misuse

While there are a number of definitions of prescription drug misuse or abuse, the CoOPDM uses the following definition from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA):

“The term prescription drug abuse usually refers to any misuse or non-medical use of a controlled psychotropic pharmaceutical drug – that is, the use of a drug for something other than its intended medical or psychiatric purpose (for example, to get “high”).”

According to the International Narcotics Control Board, evidence shows that Canadians are among the heaviest consumers of psychotropic medications in the world. While it is acknowledged as a serious and escalating issue, currently there is limited research on the number of Canadians who use prescription drugs for non-medical purposes.

For a detailed information guide on prescription drug abuse in Canada, check out the CCSA’s Frequently Asked Questions document on Prescription Drug Abuse.