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Medication Safety
Did you know that drug overdose deaths have been the leading cause of accidental deaths in the United States since 2013?1
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 70% of the more than 67,000 drug overdose deaths in 2018 involved an opioid.2 But medication safety is about more than just opioid medications – it is for all medications.
At Family Fare, we want you to have the information you need to effectively use, safely store, and properly dispose of unnecessary medications. The resources below are intended to guide you to important safety information from some of our nation’s leading safety experts. It does not, however, serve to replace professional medical advice.
- Olaisen RH, Rossen LM, Warner M, Anderson RN. Unintentional injury death rates in rural and urban areas: United States, 1999–2017. NCHS Data Brief, no 343. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2019.
- Wilson N, Kariisa M, Seth P, et al. Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths—United States, 2017-2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:290-297.
Frequently asked questions:
If you have questions about what to do with your unwanted, unused, or expired medications – please follow the link to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) webpage.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Patient Safety page has several topics that may be of interest to you. From proper antibiotic use and vaccination safety to topics like safe medication storage.
Opioids are a class of drugs used to reduce pain. Prescription Opioids are Opioids prescribed to help reduce moderate to severe pain. Even though these are prescribed by your healthcare professional, they may carry serious risks like opioid dependence, addiction, and even accidental overdose and death.
Opioid use can cause dangerous reactions such as slowed or stopped breathing. An opioid overdose occurs when your body cannot process your Opioid intake.
Talk to your Family Farepharmacist today to see what options are available in your area.