What is prescription medicine misuse?

Older adults often have to take many medicines. This can easily lead to misuse of medicines. You misuse medicine when:

• You take too much medicine or take medicine when you don't need to.
• You use older medicines or another person's medicine.
• You take medicine in a way that's not prescribed, just to feel good or "high." This happens most often with medicines used to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, or pain you have had for a long time (chronic pain).
• You take medicines while drinking alcohol.
• You don't take medicine as directed by your doctor. For example, you don't take enough medicine, you skip doses, or you don't get a prescription renewed.