Medications with dependence potential: Pharmacological aspects and clinical practise

Overview

The abuse of medications represents a serious and ongoing public health concern. It has extensive consequences for individuals in the form of deteriorating physical and mental health, while also imposing a significant socioeconomic burden on society.
This article focuses on the pharmacological aspects of medications associated with the development of substance dependence, with particular emphasis on sedatives, hypnotics, opioid analgesics, stimulants, gabapentinoids, and selected over-the-counter preparations. The development of dependence results from a complex interaction of various risk factors and is primarily influenced by the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of substances, individual predispositions, and environmental factors. The aim of this article is to summarize the main mechanisms contributing to the development of substance dependence, describe the pharmacological characteristics of the most commonly abused medication groups, and propose basic recommendations for their rational prescription and for the prevention of dependence. Education of patients and healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, plays a key role in addressing this undesirable phenomenon.
 

Keywords:

opioids – benzodiazepines – addiction – medications with addiction potential – over-the-counter drugs