Editorial: Misuse and abuse of prescription drugs in custodial settings

Custodial settings, such as prisons and psychiatric hospitals, are meant to be places of rehabilitation and security. Beside the abuse of illicit drugs, a growing concern about these institutions is the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs. Prescription drug abuse is the use of a prescription medication in a way not intended by the prescriber. The consequences of this serious public health problem range from an increase in treatment and emergency room admission, to raise in addiction and overdose deaths. The most abused drugs generally include opioid-based painkillers, anti-anxiety medications, sedatives and stimulants. The easier way to obtain them in comparison to illegal drugs and the possibility to avoid controls might explain the spreading of prescription drug misuse and abuse in particular settings. However, due to a number of ethical challenges, first of all the need for safeguarding the free participation of people, the research in the custodial setting is still limited. This Research Topic explores this issue examining four papers.