Identification of behavioral risk factors for medically unsupervised use of prescription medications in Utah

Prescription drug misuse has become a widespread problem in the United States. Misuse of prescription drugs is second only to marijuana as the nation's most prevalent drug problem. National data shows that in 2002-2003 through 2005-2006, Utah ranked among those states with the highest rates of the past year nonmedical use of pain relievers among those age 12 and older. Using data from the 2008 Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N=5,330) and the 2007 Utah Higher Education Health Behavior Survey (N=8,834), we completed three studies exploring nonmedical prescription drug use among the Utah adult opulation. There were three different outcomes: medically unsupervised use of prescription pain medication; obtaining prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes; and using prescription drugs to manage pain. The last two outcomes were within the population of Utah college students.