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List of References

Definitions

In-home Disposal System (or At-home Disposal System)

  1. A system that changes the physical integrity of the drug’s formulation,
  2. Renders the active ingredient(s) unusable (for all practical purposes, mitigating the risk of nonmedical use or overdose),
  3. Is non-toxic and non-hazardous, poses no threat to the consumer and reduces drug exposure to the environment, and,
  4. Acts as a deterrent for misuse.

Prescription Drug Misuse

If you take a medicine in a way that is different from what the doctor prescribed, it is called prescription drug misuse. It could be:

  • Taking a medicine that was prescribed for someone else
  • Taking a larger dose than you are supposed to
  • Taking the medicine in a different way than you are supposed to. This might be crushing tablets and then snorting or injecting them.
  • Using the medicine for another purpose, such as getting high

Misusing some prescription drugs can lead to addiction. These include opioids, sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants.

Every medicine has some risk of side effects. Doctors take this into account when prescribing medicines. People who misuse these drugs may not understand the risks. The medicines may not be safe for them, especially at higher doses or when taken with other medicines. Source: NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse.

References

  1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2023). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP22-07-01-005, NSDUH Series H-57). Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt39443/2021NSDUHFFRRev010323.pdf

  2. De-An Zhang, Marilan Luong, Emmanuel Barragan, Frederic Bushnell, Robert. H. Cho, Selina Poon, Preventing Opioid Diversion and Abuse by Using an At-home Opioid Disposal Method: An Improvement Project in a Pediatric Outpatient Surgical Center, Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, Volume 3, Issue 1, 2021, 150, ISSN 2768-2765, https://doi.org/10.55275/JPOSNA-2021-150.

  3. Barnett MJ, Clubbs B, Woodyard A, Wasem V, Prinze J, Tirupasur A, Hosseini S, Kim M, Gallardo F, Polich N, Desselle S. Barriers and motivational factors for engaging in novel opioid and medication disposal-related services in community pharmacies. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2024 Aug;20(8):713-722. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2024.03.011. Epub 2024 Apr 4. PMID: 38719767.

  4. Frazier W, Cochran G, Lo-Ciganic W, et al. Medication-Assisted Treatment and Opioid Use Before and After Overdose in Pennsylvania Medicaid. JAMA. 2017;318(8):750–752. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.7818

  5. Joint Economic Committee Democrats. (2022). The economic toll of the opioid crisis reached nearly $1.5 trillion in 2020. Retrieved from https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/democrats/2022/9/the-economic-toll-of-the-opioid-crisis-reached-nearly-1-5-trillion-in-2020

  6. Voepel-Lewis T, Farley FA, Grant J, Tait AR, Boyd CJ, McCabe SE, Weber M, Harbagh CM, Zikmund-Fisher BJ. Behavioral Intervention and Disposal of Leftover Opioids: A Randomized Trial. Pediatrics. 2020 Jan;145(1):e20191431. doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-1431. PMID: 31871245; PMCID: PMC6939843.

  7. Hudgins JD, Porter JJ, Monuteaux MC, Bourgeois FT. Prescription opioid use and misuse among adolescents and young adults in the United States: A national survey study. PLoS Med. 2019 Nov 5;16(11):e1002922. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002922. PMID: 31689290; PMCID: PMC6830740.

  8. Clark S, Singer D, Matos-Moreno A, Kauffman A, Schultz S, Davis M. Narcotics in the Medicine Cabinet: Provider Talk Is Key to Lower Risk, vol. Vol 26 Ann Arbor, MI: C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, University of Michigan; 2016.

  9. McCauley JL, Back SE, Brady KT. Pilot of a brief, web-based educational intervention targeting safe storage and disposal of prescription opioids. Addict Behav. 2013;38(6):2230–2235.

  10. 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.

  11. OneKeyData. (2021). 2021 US Pharmacy Market Report. Retrieved from https://www.onekeydata.com/downloads/reports/2021_US_Pharmacy_Market_Report.pdf

  12. Allen J, Casavant M, Spiller H, Chounthirath T, Hodges N, Smith G. Prescription opioid exposures among children and adolescents in the US: 2000-2015. Pediatrics. 2017;139(4):e20163382.

  13. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2023). HHS and SAMHSA release 2022 NSDUH data. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/press-announcements/20231113/hhs-samhsa-release-2022-nsduh-data

  14. Caldeira KM, Kasperski SJ, Sharma E, et al.: College students rarely seek help despite serious substance use problems. J Subst Abuse Treat 2009; 37:368–378

  15. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (n.d.). VA equips 200,000 veterans with lifesaving naloxone. Retrieved from https://news.va.gov/press-room/va-equips-200000-veterans-with-lifesaving-naloxone/.

  16. SAMHSA. (n.d.). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Short Report No. 3210). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved July 1, 2024, from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_3210/ShortReport-3210.html

  17. RevCycle Intelligence. (2022, February 2). Caring for opioid use disorder patients costs hospitals $95B per year. https://revcycleintelligence.com/news/caring-for-opioid-use-disorder-patients-costs-hospitals-95b-per-year

  18. Weill Cornell Medicine. (2022, December 8). The cost of opioid use disorder and the value of aversion. https://phs.weill.cornell.edu/news/cost-opioid-use-disorder-and-value-aversion

  19. [Reference removed.]

  20. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Occupational employment and wages, May 2023: Pharmacists. Retrieved July 3, 2024, from https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291051.htm

  21. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Pharmacy technicians. Retrieved July 3, 2024, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacy-technicians.htm

  22. Makki M, Hassali MA, Awaisu A, Hashmi F. The Prevalence of Unused Medications in Homes. Pharmacy (Basel). 2019 Jun 13;7(2):61. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy7020061. PMID: 31200530; PMCID: PMC6631141.