Assessing Prescription Pain Medication Sharing Practices Among American Indian and Alaska Natives in Southern California

Introduction: Along with the rise of prescription medications issued by pharmacies over the past few decades, nonmedical use of prescription pain medications has been on the rise, and is now a major health concern. Additionally, almost every segment of the population across various demographics is affected by this growing problem, including the focus of this study, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. One major source of illicit or nonprescribed use of opiates and other pain relievers is the practice of prescription medication sharing. Studies have shown that sharing one’s medications is linked to aberrant behavior in nonmedical use of prescription medications. For this exploratory study, demographic correlates of sharing medications were examined among American Indians and Alaska Natives in Southern California.

Methods: The following exploratory study assessed the frequency and association of demographic and health related variables with attitudes and practices toward sharing prescription pain medications, using Chi-square analyses. Following institutional and Tribal IRB review and approval, we elicited a convenience sample of 295 completed self-report surveys (a 91% response rate) from self-identified American Indian and Alaska Native respondents from lobby areas at tribal clinic sites and at various local health related events.

Results: Respondents’ ages ranged from 18-94 (M=45.63, SD = 15.97) years old; 71.5% were females. Most had a high school degree or above (74.7%) and approximately 63% lived on the reservation. Overall 41.5% reported experiencing chronic pain and about 31% reported having used a non-prescribed pain medication to manage pain in the last 12 months. Sharing behaviors varied among respondents in this study, with women more likely than men to have provided a prescription pain medication to a loved one in their lifetime (p<0.01). Those with less education (less than a high school degree) reported having provided prescription pain medication to a loved one in the past 12 months (p<0.01). There were no significant differences for participants in the belief that it is dangerous to share one’s medications among family, friends, and loved ones.

Conclusions: Understanding the prevalence of sharing practices constitutes a steppingstone to developing strategies for reducing and preventing misuse and abuse of prescription medications and other drugs in rural American Indian and Alaska Native communities.