Prescription drug abuse on the rise

Prescription drug overdose deaths are on the rise across the country, including in Montana, which ranks third in the nation for teen abuse of prescription pain relievers. Between 2011 and 2013, prescription drug overdoses were responsible for at least 369 deaths and more than 7,200 hospital inpatient admissions and emergency department cases, according to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Epidemiology and Scientific Support.

There is also increased use in general among teens, with more than 5 percent of Montana teens ages 12 to 17 reporting they have used a prescription pain killer for a nonmedical purpose in the past year. This number rises to nearly 10 percent among young adults ages 18 to 25, according to a 2012-2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Kaelyn Kelly, who is an Rx Drug Abuse Prevention Coordinator with the Montana attorney general’s office, said that many people consider prescription painkillers the same as Tylenol or other over-the-counter pain relievers, “and nothing could be further from the truth. Narcotics can be fatal. The doses given to people depend on their age and weight. There are possible side effects and reactions, and all of this has to be taken into consideration before taking prescription drugs.”

According to Mineral County Prevention Specialist, Stephanie Quick, 60 percent of teens who abuse prescription drugs, get access to them from family members or from friend’s medicine cabinets.

Quick and Kelly held a kickoff campaign in the Ambulance Barn near the Mineral Community Hospital last Friday, to help bring awareness to this growing problem.

Kelly introduced the “Operation Medicine Cabinet” campaign. This is a one-day event held in local communities across the nation, in which unused and unwanted prescription drugs are collected from community members. The drugs are then properly destroyed. The program helps to keep drugs out of the rivers, town water systems, and away from kids.

In addition to the one-day events, lock boxes are also available. These are free boxes installed at law enforcement departments, pharmacies and medical facilities. There is now one available at the Mineral County Courthouse in Superior.

“People can dispose of their medication anytime,” said Quick, “it’s completely anonymous, and secure.”

There are other ways of destroying prescription drugs if people are unable to get to the lock box. There are special postage paid envelopes available at some pharmacies, for example CVS in Missoula. They cost $4.87 each and you just put unwanted drugs into the envelope and drop it off at the local post office.

Kelly also said that drugs could be placed in a sealed container, like a plastic margarine bowl. Then mix the pills with vinegar, coffee grounds, cat litter, or other substances that would make them ineffective. Then toss the container into the garbage. Another solution would be to put the pills into a plastic bag, crush them with a hammer or a rolling pin. Then mix them with the coffee grounds or other substances before throwing them away.

The main point, said Kelly, it to get into the mind set of getting the medicines out of the house.

There was also a lively discussion about when a patient is in hospice, or has recently died. In these cases, someone within the household needs to make sure medicines are properly disposed of. This will prevent family members, or friends of the family, from getting into the medications.

One member of the audience also brought up the point that if someone is serious ill, they may become a target of drug abusers in the community. Their house may be broken into if the abuser is aware that there are a lot of medications inside. The same is true if someone were to pass away and the medications were left unattended.

Another way to secure medications is to purchase a safe and store them in it, said Kelly. Patients can take out a few pills for convenience, but lock the rest away.