Medication Sharing, Storage, and Disposal Practices for Opioid Medications Among US Adults
Summary/Excerpts
The prescription opioid epidemic continues with few signs of abatement. Most adolescents and adults reporting recent nonmedical use of opioid medications obtain these medications through their family or friends. Minimal research has examined knowledge and practices related to opioid medication sharing, storage, and disposal among US adults who recently received prescriptions for these medications despite this group serving as a source for individuals using opioid medications for nonmedical purposes. We conducted a national survey among US adults with recent opioid medication use to examine the pervasiveness of sharing opioid medications, medication storage and disposal practices, and the sources of information received.
Key Statistics
About 20.7% (weighted percentage) reported ever having shared opioid medications with another person.
Some respondents reported being likely to let a relative (13.7%) or close friend (7.7%) use their opioid medication.
Among those with leftover opioid medications, 61.3% reported keeping them for future use.
48.7% of adults with recent opioid medication use did not recall receiving information on safe storage
The vast majority of respondents (91.4%) reported storing their opioid medication in an unlocked location.
45.3% of adults with recent opioid medication use did not recall receiving information on proper disposal.
Citation
Kennedy-Hendricks A, Gielen A, McDonald E, McGinty EE, Shields W, Barry CL. Medication sharing, storage, and disposal practices for opioid medications among US adults. JAMA Intern Med. 2016;176(7):1027–1029.