Final answer:
The increased scope of practice for nurse practitioners that started in the 1990s led to medication-related issues, including prescription misuse and antibiotic resistance, as well as contributing to the opioid crisis. This expansion, although it increased accessibility, also created challenges such as reduced quality of care and increased commoditization in healthcare services.
Step-by-step explanation:
After the expansion of nurse practitioners' authorities in the 1990s, including prescribing medications, one unintended consequence has been the increased incidence of medication-related issues such as prescription misuse and overprescription of drugs. This trend can lead to antibiotic resistance which emerges from the overprescription of antimicrobials. Patients often demand antibiotics for conditions such as viral infections, for which these drugs are ineffective, and aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical companies to physicians exacerbates this issue.
Another significant unintended consequence has been the opioid crisis, which began in part due to the mass-marketing of opioid drugs as non-addictive pain relievers, leading to high rates of addiction even among those who used the drugs as prescribed.
Furthermore, the push for efficiency in healthcare has led to changes in both patient and provider behaviors, often with a focus on mass production and efficiency. While this model has increased the accessibility of care, it has also resulted in the commoditization of health services, potentially reducing the quality of patient care and individualized treatments.