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What are opioids?
A class of drugs used to treat pain
Examples: morphine, methadone, oxycodone, hydrocodone
How can I safely give opioids to my children?
Give the medicine exactly as prescribed – give the right dose at the right time
Use a medication syringe to measure and give liquid medicines
Never share the medicine with another child, teenager, or adult
Call your child’s doctor if your child is very sleepy or constipated
How do I properly store opioid medications?
Keep the medication in its original container – with a child resistant cap
Keep the medication out of reach of small children and in a locked cabinet or lockbox if there are older children in the home
Know how much medication you have used so you know how much should be left
How do I properly get rid of opioid medications?
Always get rid of expired, unwanted, or unused opioids as soon as possible
You can bring opioids to a place near you on national drug take back day, visit https://takebackday.dea.gov to find out when and where
You can find approved drug disposal sites any time of the year at https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1
Call your local police station and ask if they offer drug disposal services
If the options above are not available you can…
Mix the medication with cat litter or coffee grounds, seal it in a plastic bag, and throw it away in your trash
Flush it down the toilet
What else can I do to protect my family when opioids are in our home?
Know the signs of opioid misuse
Medication is missing
Change in attitude/personality
Drop in school performance
Wanting to be alone more
Unusually moody, cranky, or nervous
Know the signs of overdose
Will not react to your voice or touch
Fingernails and/or lips are turning blue
Breathing is very slow or has stopped
Heartbeat is very slow
Center part of eyes are very small
Have naloxone in your home to temporarily stop an overdose in any family member
Call 911 right away if you think a family member is having an overdose, even if you used naloxone
To learn more about where to get naloxone and how to use it, visit: http://www.getnaloxonenow.org/index.aspx
Additional Resources:
https://www.drugabuse.gov/parents-educators
http://www.pbs.org/wned/opioid-epidemic/resources/resources-parents/
https://drugfreegeneration.org/parent-resources/downloadable-prevention-education-tools.html
Prepared by: Victoria Grant, P4 pharmacy student
Reviewed by: Kelly L. Matson, PharmD, BCPPS
References:
1. Safe Use, Storage, and Disposal of Opioid Drugs. https://familydoctor.org/safe-use-storage-and-disposal-of-opioid-drugs/. Accessed May 2018.
2. Food and Drug Administration. Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know. https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/EnsuringSafeUseofMedicine/SafeDisposalofMedicines/ucm186187.htm#take_back. Accessed May 2018.
3. Recognizing Opioid Overdose. https://www.narcan.com/recognizing-opioid-overdoses. Accessed May 2018.
4. Recognizing the Signs of Addiction. https://www.combataddiction.ny.gov/warning-signs. Accessed May 2018.
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