The Internet plays a very important role in this as well

Dec 20, 2011 16:11 GMT  ·  By
Prescription pill abuse is on the rise in the US, doctors and the Internet partially to blame
   Prescription pill abuse is on the rise in the US, doctors and the Internet partially to blame

Recent statistics released in the United States show that prescription drug abuse has climbed to the rank of epidemic, with a large portion of the people taking such medication doing so without respecting directions. Doctors' ignorance and ready access to online pharmacies are equally responsible for this.

The fact is that many family doctors simply don't have any type of clue as to how many controlled substances and drugs can be found on the Internet, if one knows where to look. But addressing the Internet's part of the fault will not be easy, PsychCentral reports.

What would be easier would be for doctors to learn exactly the type of chemicals their patients can have access to. “Controlled prescription drugs like Oxycontin, Xanax, and Ritalin are easily purchased over the Internet without a prescription, yet physician awareness of this problem is low,” researchers on a new study say.