What You Can Do
Nationally, almost 70 percent of people who abused prescription drugs say they got them from a family member or friend. Proper prescription drug disposal ensures that drugs won't fall into the hands of those they can hurt the most.
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Painkillers are the most commonly abused prescription drug. If you are taking pain medication, develop a pain management plan with your doctor to make sure you're receiving the right amount of pain medication.
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Always store prescription drugs securely, and not easily accessed by others. Keep track of quantities, and keep the drugs in a locked medicine cabinet if possible.
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Properly dispose of medications once treatment is completed. Check the label or patient information guide for disposal instructions. Your pharmacist can also tell you about safe drug drop-off locations to dispose of leftover medications.
Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse
Proper Drug Disposal
If no instructions for disposal are given on the drug label:
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Take medications out of their original containers.
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Mix them with an undesirable substance like used coffee grounds or kitty litter.
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Put the combination in a sealable bag, empty can, or other leak-proof container and place in the household garbage.
Other alternatives:
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The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics operates prescription drug drop safes located in certain drivers' license offices around the state for the secure disposal of medications. For more information, call 601-371-3600.
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Call your city or county government's household trash and recycling service (see blue pages in phone book) to see whether a drug take-back program is available in your community.
What Mississippi Is Doing: The Prescription Monitoring Program
The Mississippi Prescription Monitoring Program is an electronic tracking program managed by the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy to help practitioners and medical dispensers identify possible inappropriate use of controlled substance drugs and other designated medications. The online service supplies a patient’s controlled substance prescription history and information about the prescriber and dispenser. This program supports the legitimate use of controlled substances while helping to safeguard public health and safety.
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