University student perceptions about the motives for and consequences of nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD)

ABSTRACT

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to increase qualitative understanding of student motives for and consequences associated with nonmedical use of prescription drugs. Participants: Sixty-one students participated in eight focus groups between April and November 2013. Methods: Students described prescription drugs commonly used for nonmedical reasons, as well as the motives for and consequences associated with their use. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results: Students reported stimulants as the most commonly used prescription drug for nonmedical reasons, least expensive, and easiest to obtain on campus, followed by benzodiazepines. Opioids were less commonly used, more expensive, and difficult to acquire. Motives and consequences varied by prescription drug class. Conclusions: Our qualitative findings extend previous research by suggesting differences in students' perceived motives for using and consequences associated with the different classes of prescription drugs. These findings provide implications for the development of preventive interventions.

Keywords:

• Consequences
• motives
• nonmedical use
• prescription drugs
• university students

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Funding

This research was supported in part by a State University of New York/Research Foundation Collaborative Award provided to the first author.