• Tell your healthcare provider about ALL the medicines and supplements you take.
• Never take medication that is not prescribed to you.
• Never share your prescription medications.
• Never take your medications more often or in higher doses than prescribed or directed.
• Know the potentially harmful interactions of drinking alcohol while taking specific medications.
• Taking prescription or over-the-counter medications with depressants such as sleep aids, anti-anxiety medications, or cold medicine can be dangerous.
• Properly dispose of all unused and expired prescription and over-the-counter medications.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs – to include legally prescribed or over-the-counter medications – is not only dangerous, it is illegal.

Please consider the questions below to determine the safety of your home as it relates to safe use and storage of your prescription medications.

SAFE USE

• Do you tell your healthcare provider about ALL the medicines and supplements you take?
• Have you talked with your family members about the importance of not sharing your prescription medications?
• Have you talked with your family members about the importance of not taking others’ prescription medications?
• Do you keep track of how many pills are in your bottle so you are immediately aware if any are missing?

• Store medications out of reach of kids, family and guests.
• Know where your medications are at all times.
• Keep prescribed medications in the original container with the label attached, and the child-resistant cap secured.
• Keep track of the number of pills are in your prescription so you are immediately aware if any are missing.
• Dispose of all unused and expired medications properly. Proper storage and disposal of all medications is essential to health and safety.
• The majority of people who use prescription pain medications that are not prescribed to them report getting it from a family member or friend. In fact, just by having prescription pain medications in your home you are at increased risk for theft.
• Just as pharmacies have expectations to protect and maintain their inventory of prescription pain medications, consumers should do the same.
• Proper disposal of medications reduces the impact on the environment and lessens the chance they will be misused or abused.
• If you maintain medical emergency storage, consult with your doctor about the shelf life of your medications and ensure they are in a safe, yet accessible, location.

REFERENCES

• www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5906a1.htm
• UseOnlyAsDirected, Utah Department of Public Health