The Misuse of Prescription Drugs after the 2023 Earthquake in Türkiye: Insights from Pharmacy Workers
Polish Sociological Review, cilt.232, sa.4, ss.423-444, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 232 Sayı: 4
- Basım Tarihi: 2025
- Doi Numarası: 10.26412/psr232.05
- Dergi Adı: Polish Sociological Review
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, Central & Eastern European Academic Source (CEEAS), Political Science Complete, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.423-444
- Anahtar Kelimeler: addiction, earthquake, pharmacy, prescription drugs, synthetic pharmaceuticals
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- İnönü Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The misuse of prescription drugs among individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) is a growing public health concern, particularly after disasters. However, there is limited research on the experiences of pharmacy workers in such contexts. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the post-earthquake experiences of 30 pharmacy workers (19 male, 11 female) regarding prescription drug misuse by individuals with SUD. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically. Six themes emerged: the impact of the 2023 earthquake in Türkiye; misused medications and user characteristics; methods of identifying individuals with SUD; strategies to combat misuse; violence and security concerns; and Ministry of Health regulations. Pharmacy workers pointed to an increased misuse of prescription drugs after the earthquake, with young adults (18–30) being a key risk group. It is recommended that such medications be dispensed only through hospital pharmacies, under strict control, to reduce misuse and enhance staff safety.