Attention Seniors: STAMP Out Prescription Drug Misuse & Abuse!

1. 1c SAFE SENIORS Attention Seniors:STAMPOut Prescription Drug Misuse & Abuse! Making the Best Use of Your Medicines

2. Know Your Medicine As long as I take the medication, it doesn’t matter at what time of day I take it. True or False? On days when I wake up feeling good, I don’t have to take my medication. True or False? I had the same cold last year, so I can use the antibiotics I had left over for this cold. True or False?

3. We Take More Medicine as We Get Older Taking medicine prescribed by your doctor is usually safe and effective. But, as we age, our bodies change. We handle medicine differently than when we were younger. …So, it is important to be careful with medicine.

4. OOPS! Sometimes we don’t take medicine the way the doctor prescribes . . .

5. What Are Some Ways We Take Medicine WRONG? • We take MORE • We take LESS • We take more OFTEN • We FORGET • We STOP before we are supposed to • We give OTHER people our medicine • We TAKE other people’s medicine This is PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSE

6. Prescription Drug Misuse is UNSAFE! What can happen if you misuse Prescription Drugs? • You might not get well • You might actually get sicker • You might have to go to the doctor or the hospital • It might lead to prescription drug ABUSE

7. What if Someone Takes Prescription Drugs Wrong on PURPOSE? If someone takes: • More medicine than prescribed • More often than prescribed • For no medical reason • Or mixes medicine with alcohol or illegal drugs This is PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE

8. Commonly Abused Medications • Opioid (narcotic) painkillers • Medicine for anxiety • Sleeping pills Take these medicines only if YOUR doctor prescribed them for YOUand take them just as the doctor ordered!

9. Prescription Drug Abuse is UNSAFE! • Health gets worse • Higher risk of accidents • Higher risk of falls and injuries • Serious side effects • Physical dependence and addiction

10. Recognizing Prescription Drug Abuse • Sudden change in behavior • Withdrawal from family, friends, activities • Rapid increase in the amount of medicine that is needed • Very frequent refills • “Doctor shopping” to get several prescriptions for the same medicine Look for these signs . . .

11. How to Help Someone Abusing Prescription Drugs • Get them to talk to a doctor, counselor or other health professional • Encourage them to be honest about exactly how they are taking their medications • The sooner, the better!

12. Be Part of the Solution STAMP Out Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse by • S afely • T aking • All • M edicine • P roperly

13. How to . . . STAMP Out Prescription Drug Misuse & Abuse! • Keep an up-to-date list of all your medicines – prescription and over-the-counter • Take your medicine list to ALL your medical appointments: doctor, dentist, emergency room, hospital stays, and share with your pharmacist • Take your medicine EXACTLY as prescribed • Only use the medicine for the reason it was prescribed

14. More STAMP Out Tips! If you are not sure how to take a medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist Ask your doctor or pharmacist about side effects to watch out for and interactions with other medications Ask how the medicine will affect driving and other daily activities Talk with your doctor BEFORE you change a dose or stop taking a medicine

15. More STAMP Out Tips! • Do not crush or break pills without checking with your doctor or pharmacist • Don’t use someone else’s medicine • Don’t share your medicine with anyone else • Don’t mix your medicines with alcohol • Don’t be afraid to ask for help in organizing your medicines • Schedule a yearly “medication check-up” with your doctor and pharmacist

16. And Finally. . . If you want to help fight Prescription Drug Misuse & Abuse CLEAN OUT YOUR MEDICINE CABINET!!

17. The Medicine Cabinet can be DANGEROUS! • You may become a target for theft or scams by those looking for drugs to abuse • Accidental poisonings, abuse and misuse often occur when people store old medications in their homes • A majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet

18. Prevent Poisonings, Misuse & Abuseand Properly dispose of unused/expired medicine DO NOT FLUSH unused medications DO NOT POUR them down a sink or drain Protect the Environment • Take advantage of community drug take-back programs that allow the you to bring unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal

19. It’s Up to You to STAMP Out Prescription Drug Misuse & Abuse! Why don’t you start today?

20. For More Information • Prescription and Illicit Drug Abuse: Information on older adults, tips on prevention, treatment http://nihseniorhealth.gov/drugabuse • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) www.samhsa.gov Treatment Locator 800-662-HELP (4357) • Find a Senior Care Pharmacist: Specializing in the medication needs of older adults https://www.ascp.com/find-senior-care-pharmacist

21. Medication Disposal DisposeMyMeds.org An online resource to help find medication disposal programs at the local independent community pharmacy near you Drug Take Back Network Information on permanent and regularly recurring drug take-back events www.takebacknetwork.com/local_efforts.html SMARxT Disposal™ http://www.smarxtdisposal.net/ Safeguard My Meds.org http://www.safeguardmymeds.org/

22. STAMP Out Prescription Drug Misuse & Abuse!Developed by Supported by an educational grant from Purdue Pharma L.P.

23. STAMP Out Prescription Drug Misuse & Abuse! QUESTIONS? http://www.ascp.com/STAMPOut

24. What Did You Learn Today? Which WORDS below complete the medication SAFETY TIPS on the next slides? List Exactly All Before Reason Crush Expired Alcohol Not Year Abuse Misuse Use each word only once!

25. What Did You Learn Today?Choose from these Words: List Exactly All Before Reason Crush Expired Alcohol Not Year Abuse Misuse 1. I will take my medicine ________ as my doctor prescribed it. 1. I will take my medicine EXACTLY as my doctor prescribed it. 2. Taking medicine for non-medical reasons is prescription drug ______. 2. Taking medicine for non-medical reasons is prescription drug ABUSE.

26. What Did You Learn Today?Choose from these Words: List Exactly All Before Reason Crush Expired Alcohol Not Year Abuse Misuse 3. I will ____ share my medicines with anyone else. 3. I will NOT share my medicines with anyone else. 4. I will keep an up-to-date medicine ____. 4. I will keep an up-to-date medicine LIST.

27. What Did You Learn Today?Choose from these Words: 5. I will take my medicine for the _______ it was prescribed. 5. I will take my medicine for the REASON it was prescribed. 6. I will go through my medicine cabinet and get rid of ________ medicines at least once a year. 6. I will go through my medicine cabinet and get rid of EXPIRED medicines at least once a year. List Exactly All Before Reason Crush Expired Alcohol Not Year Abuse Misuse

28. What Did You Learn Today?Choose from these Words: List Exactly All Before Reason Crush Expired Alcohol Not Year Abuse Misuse 7. Taking medicine differently than prescribed is prescription drug _______. 7. Taking medicine differently than prescribed is prescription drug MISUSE. 8. I will not mix my medicines with ________. 8. I will not mix my medicines with ALCOHOL.

29. What Did You Learn Today?Choose from these Words: List Exactly All Before Reason Crush Expired Alcohol Not Year Abuse Misuse 9. I will get a “medicine check-up” with my doctor and pharmacist every _____. 9. I will get a “medicine check-up” with my doctor and pharmacist every YEAR. 10. I will check with my doctor _______ making any changes in how I take my medicine. 10. I will check with my doctor BEFORE making any changes in how I take my medicine.

30. What Did You Learn Today?Choose from these Words: List Exactly All Before Reason Crush Expired Alcohol Not Year Abuse Misuse 11. I will take my current medicine list to ___ my doctors and health care providers. 11. I will take my current medicine list to ALL my doctors and health care providers. 12. Do not _______ medications without checking with your pharmacist. 12. Do not CRUSH medications without checking with your pharmacist.