The opioid crisis appears to be gaining ground spiraling out of control as it tightens its grip on unsuspecting victims in its path.  Ask how this horrific epidemic began and all it takes is a brief look into a seemingly innocent yet likely source in each of our homes – our medicine cabinets. 

To illustrate just how bad this crisis has become, in 2016 an estimated 60,000 Americans died of overdoses from an opioid – half of those were from overdoses of prescribed painkillers.  The opioid epidemic is the deadliest drug crisis in U.S. history.  More people are killed by opioids than by gun homicides and car crashes combined.  It topples the number of victims who perished during the HIV-Aids crisis at its peak and has claimed more lives than the brave soldiers who fought and died during the entire Vietnam War.

We may want to believe that this overmedication mess began with the creepy guy standing on a dark street corner selling drugs.  There can certainly be some validity in this concept but it would be ignorant to ignore the role of the pharmaceutical industry in enabling this catastrophe by aggressively marketing opioid painkillers.  The sad reality is our healthcare system has played an enormous role in over-prescribing and fueling a widespread problem that now has led to opioids being the leading cause of death of Americans aged 50 and younger.

The problem of prescription pain pills

Prescription pain pills have their place and are an important part in relieving pain when used appropriately.  But “using them appropriately” may not always happen.  Too often these narcotics are misused mainly by people in pain who develop a tolerance or become dependent on them.  Other situations of misuse is by people who use them for nonmedical purposes either because they are addicted, to get high, or to help them relax.   

This is why our medicine cabinets may be holding one key to why the opioid epidemic keeps gaining strength.  Take a look in your medicine cabinet.  How many of us have prescription medications containing an opioid?  Have you ever needed a pain pill for twisting an ankle or from having dental or hip/knee surgery?  Take a look and there could very well be several old bottles of Tylenol with codeine, Percocet, oxycodone (Oxycontin is the brand name) or hydrocodone (Vicodin is the brand name) you didn’t completely use up sitting there on a shelf in your medicine cabinet. 

In 2015, more than 90 million Americans used prescription opioids with almost 12 million people who admitted they misused them.  How were they misused?  They took them in excessive amounts, took them for another reason than what the doctor prescribed them for, gave them to someone else to use or took these drugs given to them by a family member or friend who had a prescription for them. 

A study in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2016 found that most people who have been prescribed an opioid medication have leftovers.  Of those who had leftover pills, up to 61 percent saved them for future use while one in five shared their medication with others.  Less than half stated they received any information on how to store them safely or how to dispose of them and only 9 percent kept these strong pain pills in a locked location.

Another study published in JAMA Surgery in 2017 found that 67 to 92 percent of people undergoing surgical procedures report having leftover opioids with more than half of their prescription remaining.  Almost 75% of them did not keep these medications under lock and key and few of them planned to actually dispose of their leftover drugs.  The study concludes by saying the stage for opioids misuse was put in motion due to the combination of unused opioids, poor storage practices, and the lack of proper disposal of them.

How to safely store and dispose of opioids

With this sort of mishandling of opioids going on within millions of homes across America, unfortunately the opioid crisis will not be going away anytime soon.  But, each of us can play a part in curbing this crisis by doing our role of safely storing and then disposing of them when no longer needed.

·      Storing opioid prescription medication safely

·      Store in their original packaging inside a locked medicine cabinet, lockbox, or a location others cannot easily access them. Store them in a location in your house up and away and out of sight of children and visitors. 

·      After taking a dose, return the medication to its secure location after every use.  Do not leave the medication containers on countertops, tables or nightstands in open view where they can be easily accessed by others.

·      Do not keep loose pills in easily opened plastic bags or containers in your purse, luggage, or office drawer.  Lock travel cases when carrying prescription medications.

·      Carefully note when and how much medication you take in order to keep track of how much is left

·      If you think someone has taken your medication, contact the police immediately to file a report

·      Safely disposing of prescription opioids

·      Many communities have medicine take-back programs.  Ask you family doctor for more information or visit the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Office of Diversion Control to learn more

·      Contact your local waste management company to ask if there is a take-back program in your community