The abuse of prescription drugs refers to the use of medications in a manner other than as prescribed by a healthcare professional, often for purposes such as getting high or self-medicating. Full definition
Indeed, it's both ironic and telling that the bill itself is named for an NYPD detective whose death — the city's medical examiner later ruled — was caused by abuse of prescription drugs, not Ground Zero poisons. (nypost.com)
To Alan McGonigal, an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the district's civil division, the rampant abuse of prescription drugs required a more holistic strategy, one that he had often used in prosecuting health care fraud: Find the gatekeepers. (fortune.com)
The wider initiative, which Mr. Cuomo signed into law in 2012, aims to crack down on abuse of prescription drugs, particularly opioids. (suffolktimes.timesreview.com)