Prescription drug abuse is reaching epidemic proportions and has been for the past decade. The number of deaths caused by prescription drug overdoses has tripled since 1999. This is more than the number of fatalities from heroin and cocaine combined. The rise in abuse directly correlates with the increase in the number of prescriptions doctors write each year. However, the most frightening statistic is that more than 70 percent of the people who reported abuse of pain medicine, said they got it from family or friends. (www.Bloomberg.com)
According to TalkAboutRX.org, here are some tips for storing prescription drugs:
- Keep prescription drugs in a safe and secure place away from children, teenagers, or strangers.
- Keep track of any prescription drugs you may have. Know what you have and how much of it.
- Don’t share prescription drugs with anyone, even family or friends.
- Get rid of leftover or unneeded prescription drugs.
To properly discard:
- Don’t throw away prescription drugs in their bottle.
- Mix prescription drug with something unappealing like kitty litter or coffee grounds. Throw it out in a plain waterproof bag or can.
- Only flush a prescription drug if it comes with a label that says it’s ok.
- Scratch off any personal information of the medicine bottle before throwing it out separately.
- Check to see if your city has adopted a disposal site or pharmaceutical take-back program.
One crucial step that’s being taken in the fight against prescription drug abuse is the development of monitoring programs. States like New York and Oklahoma have begun using “real-time” systems that require doctors to prescribe painkillers electronically. These databases update immediately, leaving no lag-time for doctor shopping. Places like the E.R. and other doctors would have instant access to any prescription for pain medicine written. And doctors would have an instant alert of patients who might be at risk or suffering from substance abuse.
