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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffJust being prescribed a medication doesn't put you at risk of abusing it or becoming addicted. Prescription drug abuse is rare in people who need painkillers, sedatives or stimulants to treat a medical condition. However, if you are taking a commonly abused drug, here are a few things you can do to decrease your risk:
- Make sure you're getting the right medication. When you see your doctor, make sure the doctor clearly understands your condition and the signs and symptoms it's causing. Ask your doctor whether there's an extended-release version of a medication or an alternative medication with ingredients that have less potential for addiction.
- Check in with your doctor. Talk with your doctor on a regular basis to make sure that the medication you're taking is working and you're taking the right dose.
- Follow directions for use carefully. Don't increase the dose of a medication on your own if it doesn't seem to be working — for example, if you are taking a pain medication that isn't adequately controlling your pain, don't take more.
- Know what your medication does. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the effects of the medication you're taking, so you know what to expect.
- Never use another person's prescription. Everyone's different. Even if you have a similar medical condition, it may not be the right medication or dose for you.
Preventing prescription drug abuse in teens
Young people are at especially high risk of prescription drug abuse. Follow these steps to help prevent your teen from abusing prescription medications:
- Discuss the dangers with your teen. Emphasize to your teen that just because drugs are prescribed by a doctor doesn't make them safe — especially if they were prescribed to someone else or if your child is already taking other prescription medications.
- Set rules about your child's prescription medications. Let your teen know that it's not OK to share his or her medications with others — or to take medications prescribed for others. Let your teen know he or she needs to take the prescribed dose of medication and talk to the doctor before making changes.
- Keep your prescription drugs safe. Keep track of quantities and keep them in a locked medicine cabinet.
- Properly dispose of medications. Flush opioid painkillers down the toilet. However, it's unsafe to flush many other types of medications. Instead, take them out of their original containers and mix them with coffee grounds, used kitty litter or another undesirable substance. Then, place them in the trash. Before throwing away medicine bottles, remove the label or mark out any information such as your name, patient ID or prescription number.
References
- Parran TV. Prescription drug abuse. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 11, 2010.
- NIDA InfoFacts: Prescription and over-the-counter medications. National Institute on Drug Abuse. http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/PainMed.html. Accessed May 11, 2010.
- Prescription drugs facts and figures. Office of National Drug Control Policy. http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/prescrptn_drgs/rx_ff.html. Accessed May 17, 2010.
- Prescription drug abuse chart. Office of National Drug Control Policy. http://www.drugabuse.gov/DrugPages/PrescripDrugsChart.html. Accessed May 11, 2010.
- Preventing and recognizing prescription drug abuse. National Institute on Drug Abuse. http://www.drugabuse.gov/researchreports/prescription/prescription6.html. Accessed May 11, 2010.
- McCabe SE, et al. Motives for nonmedical use of prescription opioids among high school seniors in the United States. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2009;163:739.
- Prescription drug abuse. Nemours. http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/drugs/prescription_drug_abuse.html. Accessed May 17, 2010.
- Youth risk behavior surveillance - United States, 2009. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss5905.pdf. Accessed June 8, 2010.
- Proper disposal of prescription drugs. Office of National Drug Control Policy. http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/prescrip_disposal.pdf. Accessed May 11, 2010.
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