What Can You Do?
Monitor, Educate, Dispose, and Secure
Prescription drug misuse is at epidemic levels in the United States. We can all be part of the solution by safeguarding our medications and our homes, as well as educating ourselves and others.
Monitor
- Keep track of how many pills are in your prescription packs and bottles
- Keep track of refills on prescriptions (includes all prescriptions in the house). If you need refills sooner than usual, this could indicate a problem
- Monitor children and teen’s medications (includes dosages and refills)
- Encourage grandparents, family, and friends to monitor their medications on a regular basis
Educate
- Saving unused or expired medications to use again in the future could be dangerous. Dosage needs change, interactions with current medications may take place, and medications are expired.
- Abusing prescription drugs is illegal, including sharing
- Educate yourself and those around you about the dangers of prescription drug misuse and the important role proper disposal can play in preventing access to medications.
- Ask questions, such as, “Is medication necessary to treat my condition or are there other alternatives?” Other alternatives may include: exercise, massage, dietary approaches, chiropractic care, stress reduction techniques, etc.
Dispose
Do not dispose of prescription drugs by flushing down the toilet, dumping down the drain, or throwing in the garbage. Instead, take advantage of ongoing community disposal programs or take-back programs.
Dispose of medications properly and safely to prevent:
- Medication Misuse
- Medications being used again in the future (by yourself or others)
- Accidental poisonings
- Environmental pollution
Proper disposal of medications has many benefits:
- Keeping people and animals safe
- Protecting young adults from medication misuse
- Provides a safe, convenient way to safely and properly dispose of medications
- Prevents environmental pollution by preventing improper disposal
Secure
- Keep medications in a safe and secure location, such as a private bathroom or locked cabinet or safe. Bathroom medicine cabinet is not recommended due to medication misuse and small children can have access to medications.
- Do not leave medications out on kitchen table, counter, or sink
- Keep purses, coats, and bags that contain medications in a secure location
- Keep caps tightly on all prescription bottles and put in a secure location
- Keep in mind that most pill organizers are not “child-proof” or “theft-proof”
- Encourage grandparents, family, friends, and parents of your teen’s friends to secure medications in their homes
Educational Materials
DHD#10 Information
- Understanding the Prescription Drug Use Epidemic
- About Prescription Opioids
- What Are Opioids – Guideline Information for Patients – Safer, More Effective Pain Management
- About Fentanyl: Pharmaceutical fentanyl is a synthetic opioid pain reliever that is 50-100 times more potent than morphine. It is prescribed in patches or lozenges and can be diverted for misuse.
- Today’s Heroin Epidemic: People who are addicted to prescription opioid painkillers are 40 times more likely to be addicted to heroin.
Parents/Grandparents
- Prescription Opioids: Even When Prescribed by a Doctor (CDC)
- What Parents Need to Know: A Prescription Drug Use Documentary
- Common Places Your Teen Could be Hiding Drugs
- Identifying Drug
- How to Identify Drug Paraphernalia
- Talking to Your Child When You Suspect Drug Use
- Parent Talk Kit
- Preventing Teen Prescription Medicine Misuse
- Non-Medical use of Prescription Stimulants
- Getting High on Prescription Drugs and Over-the-Counter Cough Medicine is Dangerous
- Secure and Dispose of Medicine Properly
Educators
- From Home to Homeroom Toolkit for School Nurses
- Smart Moves Smart Choices
- Do College Students Improve Their Grades by Using Prescription Stimulants Nonmedically?
- Operation Prevention: The DEA and Discovery Education have joined forces to combat a growing epidemic of prescription opioid misuse and heroin use nationwide. Operation Prevention’s mission is to educate students about the true impacts of opioids and kick-start lifesaving conversations in the home and classroom.
Medical Professionals/Healthcare Providers/Dentists
Safe and proper prescribing of opioids can help patients safely manage chronic pain, as well as reduce the number of individuals who misuse and overdose on these drugs. Below are tools for medical professionals and healthcare providers to assist in the prevention of prescription drug use.
- Guideline Resources – Clinical Tools
- CDC Guidelines: Determining Whether or Not to Initiate Opioids for Pain (Recommendations 1 and 2)
- CDC Guidelines: Selecting Opioids and Determining Opioid Dosages (Recommendations 3, 4, and 5)
- Michigan Automated Prescription System (MAPS)
- Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs)
- What Health Care Providers Need to Know About PDMP’s
- What States Need to Know About PDMP’s
- Tools for Reducing Opioid Addiction/Opioid Use Disorder
- Opioid Risk Tool
- Effective Alternatives to Opioid Therapy
- Screening for Drug Use in General Medical Setting
- Help Prevent Adolescent Medicine Misuse – A Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers
- Overdose Resource Exchange (ORE): Communication Materials and Educational Resources
- CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain – Promoting Patient Care and Safety
- Why Guidelines for Primary Care Providers?
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
- American Society of Addiction Medicine CME Courses/Workshops on Addiction Medicine and Pain
- Safe and Effective Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain: Boston University (SCOPE of Pain)
- Safely & Effectively Help Your Patients Manage Pain: These CME activities are designed to help you safely manage patients with chronic pain who have been prescribed opioid analgesics – SCOPE learning modules from Boston University
- REMS-Compliant Continuing Medical Education (CME): Access Continuing Medication Education REMS courses specific to prescribing ER/LA Opioid Analgesics Accredited CME/CE REMS-Compliant Activities Database
- Continuing Medical Education (CME) for Prescribers
- Safe Opioid Prescribing for Dental Pain
- Health Care Provider Trainings: Training Modules & Patient Cases
Videos
- Prescription Opioids: Back on Track (CDC)
- When Benefits Outweigh Risks (CDC)
- Case Study – Questionable activity in an established patient: Watch a quick video showing how to speak with an established patient whom you suspect may be misusing opioid prescriptions
- Using the Michigan Automated Prescription System (MAPS): Registration Demo
- Identifying Prescription Drug Misuse and Improving Patient Care
- The SCOPE of Pain Micro-cases: The SCOPE of Pain micro-cases podcast series episodes are organized
by challenges commonly faced by clinicians and deliver clinical pearls in 4 minutes or less. - Understanding the Opioid Epidemic: Watch to see the stories of people and communities impacted by this epidemic along with information from experts and those at the frontlines of dealing with the epidemic.
- Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict (FBI)
- Taking Prescription Drugs to Get High – A Bad Idea (Just Think Twice)
- CDC: Prescription (Rx) Awareness PSA Video Playlist
- Out of Reach: A documentary film by a teen about prescription misuse
- Opioid Prescribing: Safe Practice, Changing Lives
- CDC: Stop Overdose PSA Video Playlist
Professionals
- SAMHSA’s Opioid Overdose Prevention and Response Toolkit: This toolkit equips health care providers, communities, and local government with material to develop practices and policies to help prevent opioid-related overdoses and deaths. It addresses issues for health care providers, first responders, treatment providers, and those recovering from opioid overdose.
- Michigan Safer Opioid Prescribing Toolkit
- Overdose Prevention Engagement Network (OPEN)
General Publications
Facing Addiction in America
The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health – 2016