The Balancing Act of Prescription Medications

Robin Thacker is Prowers Medical Center’s Pharmacist. Among other duties, she and her team are responsible for the safe storage and dispensation of thousands of prescription medications. But her professional interests don’t stop at the pharmacy counter. She’s also concerned about the safe storage, use and disposal of the drugs after they’re in the hands of the patients who need them.

“Safe storage, use and disposal are important because prescribed medications need to be used as directed by the prescribed patient,” she said. “We’re fortunate to live in a time when drugs are available that help countless people in treating disease and maintaining health. But used improperly, those same drugs can be harmful.”

Opioid misuse and addiction are a well-known example of the potential dangers of prescription medications.  The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates that 50% of people who have misused prescription pain relievers obtained them from a friend or relative. The most misused opioids are buprenorphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine and tramadol, according to SAMHSA. Sometimes the drugs are passed along knowingly, and sometimes they are stolen from the person for whom they were originally prescribed.

But pain relievers aren’t the only drugs that can be stolen or misused. Recreational drug users may also seek out other medications, such as Xanax and Adderall.

What’s more, curious young children may consume drugs of any kind without understanding what they are, leading to illness or death. And sometimes adults with dementia or cognitive challenges forget what they’ve already taken and accidentally dose themselves too often. Proper storage of prescriptions as well as proper disposal of any unused medications lowers the risk of unintentional medication poisoning.

“Safety lids help keep kids out of prescription containers, but they’re not 100% foolproof,” Thacker said. “Kids are smart and can still get inside them.”

Following are some storage and disposal tips from Take Meds Seriously (takemedsseriously.org), a resource of the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention:

  • The safest place to store medications of any kind is in a locked drawer, cabinet or container.
  • If locking medications up isn’t an option, store them somewhere visitors and family members won’t easily find them. A bedroom closet may be a good location. Keep them out of sight and out of reach of children.
  • Don’t keep medications in a bathroom medicine cabinet. It’s the first place people look if they’re hunting for drugs to “borrow” or steal.
  • If you have unused or expired medications, don’t keep them around. Find a safe disposal location and remove them from your house.

“It’s not uncommon for seniors to be taking more than five medications at any given time,” Thacker said. “The number of prescription containers in a home can really add up. It’s important to manage them carefully to keep yourself and others safe.”

Drop Off Unused Prescriptions

On Saturday, April 27, which is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, the Lamar Police Department will be holding their annual collection event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lamar City Complex, 102 E. Parmenter St. To drop off medications, pull in from Parmenter Street to the west side of the police department. You may drop off prescriptions or over-the-counter medications in tablet or capsule form. Inhalers, nebulizers, sharps, chemotherapy medications and illicit drugs will NOT be accepted.

In addition, the Prowers County Sheriff’s Office and the Safeway Pharmacy accept most unused over-the-counter and prescription medications year-round.