The rates at which prescription drugs are abused change every year, based on a variety of factors, such as how easy it is to get them, how many legitimate prescriptions are written, and things of this nature. Additionally, it can be very hard to determine exactly how widespread abuse is because the authorities can—for the most part—only look at the data from arrests and sales. This does not take into account how much abuse happens without alerting the authorities.
That said, here is a list of some of the drugs that are abused most often. Data was gathered from the Centers for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Drug Enforcement Agency.
1. OxyContin2. Suboxone3. Concerta4. Ambien5. Ritalin, also known as Focalin6. Zoloft7. Lunesta8. Adderall XR9. Opana10. Xanax XR11. Klonopin12. Fentora13. Percocet14. Ativan15. Soma16. Valium17. Vicodin
These are the brand names for the top 17 drugs on the list, but it’s important to know that generic versions are on the market for many of them, so abuse could happen with these generic versions, as well.
It’s also interesting to note that the classifications of these drugs can change from time to time. For example, in 2013, the FDA said that it would support a move to change Vicodin to a Schedule II drug, rather than a Schedule III drug, which would put it at the same level as OxyContin.
Those who are facing charges for the illegal use of any of these prescription drugs in Florida need to make sure they know their rights and how the drugs have been classified.
Source: Genengnews, “Top 17 Abused Prescription Drugs of 2013,” Alex Philippidis, accessed Feb. 17, 2016