D rug and A lcohol S ervices I nformation S ystem

The DASIS Report

March 2001 July 26, 2002

P
rescription and over-the-counter
Prescription and (OTC) drug abuse accounted for a
small fraction (3 percent) of the 1.6
Over-the-Counter million admissions reported to the Treat-
ment Episode Data Set (TEDS) in 1999.
Drug Abuse Prescription drugs in TEDS are grouped as
follows: prescription narcotics (e.g.,
Admissions Demerol), prescription stimulants (e.g.,
Ritalin), tranquilizers (e.g., diazepam), and
sedatives (e.g., Seconal). OTC drugs include
In Brief aspirin, cough syrup, and any other legally-
obtained nonprescription medication.
● In 1999, 87 percent of Nearly half (46 percent) of the 44,000
admissions for prescription treatment admissions for primary prescrip-
and OTC drug abuse were tion and OTC drug abuse in 1999 were for
among Whites prescription narcotic drugs. Prescription
stimulant drugs accounted for an additional
● Admissions for abuse of one third (33 percent) of admissions, while
tranquilizers and sedatives tranquilizers accounted for 11 percent. Seda-
were more likely to be fe- tives and OTC medications made up 7
male; admissions for abuse percent and 2 percent of these admissions,
of prescription stimulants respectively.
and OTC drugs were more TEDS is a compilation of data on the
likely to be male demographic characteristics and substance
abuse problems of those admitted for sub-
● Age at admission for pre- stance abuse treatment. The information
scription stimulants was comes primarily from facilities that receive
generally younger than for some public funding. TEDS records repre-
other prescription or OTC sent admissions rather than individuals, as a
drugs person may be admitted to treatment more
than once.

The DASIS Report is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA.
Additional copies of this report may be downloaded from http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/dasis.htm. Citation of the source is appreciated. Other
reports from the Office of Applied Studies are also available on-line: http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov/.
DASIS REPORT: PRESCRIPTION AND OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUG ABUSE ADMISSIONS
Figure 1. All Admissions and Prescription/OTC Drug Admissions, Percentage by Race/Ethnicity: 1999
4.8%
11.5%
23.3%
60.4%
All Admissions
Source: 1999 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).
Race/Ethnicity
The racial/ethnic composition of
TEDS admissions for prescription
and OTC drug abuse differed
from that of the total admissions
population (Figure 1). In 1999,
Whites accounted for 87 percent
of prescription and OTC drug
admissions compared with 60
percent of all admissions. Blacks
made up only 5 percent of
admissions for prescription and
OTC drugs, but nearly one
quarter (23 percent) of all admis-
sions. Hispanics accounted for 4
percent of prescription and OTC
drug treatment admissions and 12
percent of all TEDS admissions.
Admissions by Sex
The proportion of males and
females in treatment for abuse of
prescription and OTC drugs in
1999 varied according to the type
of drug abused (Figure 2). Pre-
scription narcotic admissions were
4.7%
White
Black
Hispanic
Other
Prescription/OTC Drug Admissions
equally likely to be male or
female. Admissions for prescrip-
tion stimulants were more likely
to be male (56 percent); however,
admissions for abuse of tranquil-
izers and sedatives were more
likely to be female (58 percent
and 59 percent, respectively).
Treatment admissions for abuse
of OTC drugs were primarily
male (67 percent).
Age at Admission
The distribution of age at admis-
sion for abuse of prescription
narcotics and tranquilizers/
sedatives was somewhat similar
(Figure 3). OTC admissions
demonstrated an early peak at
age 16 that prescription narcotics
and tranquilizer/sedative admis-
sions did not. Age at admission
for prescription stimulants was
generally younger than for other
prescription or OTC drugs. The
average age for prescription
stimulant admissions in 1999 was
July 26, 2002
4.2%
4.5%
86.6%
31 years compared with 36 to 38
years for the other types of
prescription and OTC drugs.
Age at First Use
Among admissions for abuse of
prescription and OTC drugs in
1999, the age at initiation of
prescription and OTC drug abuse
differed according to the type of
drug abused. The median age at
first use was 18 for OTC and
prescription stimulant admissions
(data not shown). This was
younger than the median age at
first use for prescription narcotic
admissions (24 years), tranquilizer
admissions (23 years), and
sedative admissions (22 years).
Source of Referral
The source of referral to treat-
ment among prescription and
OTC admissions varied according
to the drug being abused (Figure
4). In 1999, over half (51 percent)
July 26, 2002 DASIS REPORT: PRESCRIPTION AND OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUG ABUSE ADMISSIONS

Figure 2. Prescription and OTC Drug Figure 3. Prescription and OTC Drug Admissions,
Admissions, Percentage by Sex: 1999 Percentage by Age at Admission: 1999

80 5
67.3
57.6 58.6 4
60 55.9
49.7 50.3

Percent
Percent

44.1 42.4 41.4 3

40
32.7
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Prescription Narcotics Prescription Stimulants

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Tranquilizers/Sedatives Over the Counter

Male Female

of prescription narcotic admis-
sions resulted from a self- or
individual referral compared with
30 to 37 percent of other pre-
scription and OTC drug admis-
sions. Referrals from the criminal
justice system were most likely to
occur among admissions for
prescription stimulant abuse (44
percent) and least likely to occur
among admissions for prescrip-
tion narcotic abuse (15 percent).
Figure 4. Prescription and OTC Drug Admissions,
Percentage by Source of Referral: 1999
100
8.7 15.9 11.1
80 25.8 10.8
33.1
Percent
One quarter to one third of to treatment occurred in relatively
admissions for abuse of prescrip- similar proportions across the
tion drugs other than prescription different prescription and OTC
stimulants were the result of a drug types and ranged from 9
referral by substance abuse and percent of admissions for pre-
health care providers, while only scription narcotic abuse to 16
11 percent of admissions for percent of admissions for pre-
prescription stimulant abuse scription stimulant abuse.
resulted from
this referral
source. Com- The Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS) is an
integrated data system maintained by the Office of Applied Studies,
munity referrals Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
One component of DASIS is the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).
TEDS is a compilation of data on the demographic characteristics and
substance abuse problems of those admitted for substance abuse
treatment. The information comes primarily from facilities that receive
some public funding. Information on treatment admissions is routinely
collected by State administrative systems and then submitted to
SAMHSA in a standard format. Approximately 1.6 million records are
included in TEDS each year. TEDS records represent admissions rather
than individuals, as a person may be admitted to treatment more than
once.
12.2 10.7 Community
Referral The DASIS Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies,
25.2 SAMHSA; Synectics for Management Decisions, Inc., Arlington, Virginia;
27.8
Substance and RTI, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

60 14.9 Abuse/Health Information and data for this issue are based on data reported to TEDS
43.6 24.0 31.7 Care Provider
19.2 through April 16, 2001.
40
Criminal Justice Access the latest TEDS reports at:
50.6 System
20 29.6 36.6 35.9 32.4 http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/dasis.htm
Self/Individual Access the latest TEDS public use files at:
0
http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/SAMHDA.htm
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Other substance abuse reports are available at:

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http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

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Office of Applied Studies

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www.samhsa.gov
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