There is difference between the two as they are two completely seperate things.
I am a disability advocate, and I took many courses in college on this subject while getting my doctorate.
Drug dependence is typically defined as what causes tolerance and withdrawal. The physical effects of the need of medicine. Everything from diabetes meds, like insulin, to blood pressure medicine, to even cold medicine could be in that category.
It’s why a person shouldn’t use nose spray but for 2–3 days as you become dependent on it, causing you to need to consume it to be able to breathe out of your nose. (FYI: It’s a VERY bad idea to become dependent on nose spray as it SUCKS for a few days getting off of it.)
Addiction is a mental component. It is a neurological state of being. Some things are more addictive than others, with things that change the neurological state being more addictive than those that don’t.
For example, sex, roller coasters, and YouTube shorts can affect your brain chemistry in the same way that METH can!
TL;DR - Addiction is a neurological condition, while dependence is when a body depends on a substance medicinally.
The number of people who suffer horrifically because of the misconceptions of addiction VS dependence is sickening.
We NEED to remove this stigma of taking proper medication to increase the quality of life of the disabled.