Survey: Most Americans would like to dispose of their unused opioid prescriptions properly but don’t

As many as 75 percent of Americans surveyed believe the escalating opioid (e.g., oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine) problem is in part due to people sharing and/or selling their unused prescriptions. What’s concerning, however, is that one in 10 have admitted that they’ve done it themselves, according to the results of a recent consumer study, “Unused Prescriptions & The Opioid Epidemic 2019,” conducted by Stericycle, Inc. released April 22, 2019.

Generation Z (people born in the mid-1990s to mid-2000s) is the population most likely to keep leftover/unused prescription drugs for future use (40 percent), compared to 36 percent of Millennials and 37 percent of Baby Boomers who said the same. In total, 47 percent said they have one to three bottles of leftover medicine in the medicine cabinet that they no longer use. 

The surveyed questioned 1,200 Americans on the subject and found 72 percent also believe the epidemic would abate if there was a safe, secure way to dispose of leftover opioid prescriptions. Most (72 percent) have also said that the doctors and pharmacists prescribing their drugs do not discuss options for getting rid of any extra pills they may have safely, with 65 percent stating they didn’t know if their pharmacy had a return program that would allow them to bring unused medicines back for proper disposal.  The majority (86 percent) said they would have no problem asking a doctor or pharmacist about how to dispose of their unused medication. 

Among people who do dispose of their prescriptions, putting them in the trash and toilet are the most common methods, which the survey authors contribute to lack of awareness and education about proper disposal. Yet, 60 percent also feel worried about how improper disposal is affecting their drinking water, rivers and lakes. If their local pharmacy retailer had a free prescription/over the counter medication drop-off kiosk, 80 percent said they would use it.

“While solving the opioid epidemic is a complex issue that requires support from all angles, there are steps that consumers, healthcare providers and medical professionals can take today to combat the effects of the epidemic,” said Cindy Miller, President and CEO Elect of Stericycle, Inc. “We believe increasing education on how to safely and securely dispose of unused prescriptions is a critical step that prevents them from ending up in the wrong hands or in our waterways.”

The Food and Drug Administration has responded with a new public education campaign  to encourage safe disposal of unused opioid pain medicines. The agency will hold a webinar Wednesday, April 24, at noon Eastern. 

Meanwhile, the NIH is funding a new study in four states in hopes of reducing opioid related deaths by 40 percent over the next three years. The study is part of the NIH HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term), a $350 million multi-agency effort to implement scientific solutions to stem the national opioid crisis.

The HEALing Communities Study will take place in states hit hardest by drug addiction and overdoses and will test a set of proven prevention and treatment interventions, such as distribution of naloxone to reverse overdose and linking individuals in the criminal justice system with treatment for opioid addiction.  

Grant awards were issued to the University of Kentucky, Lexington; Boston Medical Center, Boston; Columbia University, New York City; and Ohio State University, Columbus, respectively. Each site is partnering with at least 15 communities to measure the impact of integrating evidence-based prevention, treatment and recovery interventions across primary care, behavioral health, justice and other settings in highly affected parts of the country, said NIH.

The study will track communities as they reduce the incidence of opioid use disorder, increase the number of individuals receiving medication-based treatment for opioid use disorder, increase treatment retention beyond six months, provide recovery support services and expand the distribution of naloxone, a medication to reverse opioid overdose.