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Prescription Drug Abuse
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) joins many other concerned stakeholders who remain steadfast in their fight against prescription drug misuse and abuse, which affects millions of families across America. PhRMA strongly supports various efforts and programs to educate on the dangers of prescription drug diversion and promote the secure disposal of unused and expired prescription medication.
PhRMA engages a wide range of stakeholders in encouraging appropriate use of medication and medication adherence, secure and responsible storage of prescription medicines, prompt and safe disposal of any unused medicines, and adequate recordkeeping and data collection.
PhRMA supports and partners with several programs designed to reduce prescription drug abuse and promote secure drug disposal. For instance:
- PhRMA stands behind the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) National Take Back Day. The DEA’s National Take Back Day allows patients to drop off expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs – which will be collected and destroyed by local law enforcement officials – at designated sites nationwide. The program is secure, free and anonymous, and those interested in learning more can go to www.dea.gov or www.nationaltakebackday.com to find available community resources and participating locations.
- PhRMA partners with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the American Pharmacists Association on the SMARxT Disposal Program (www.smarxtdisposal.net). This program informs people how to promptly and safely dispose of medicines in the trash. PhRMA recommends that all unused medicines, unless specified otherwise by the Food and Drug Administration, should be mixed with water, sealed in an opaque container safely secure from children, pets, and others, and discarded in household trash to be later incinerated or placed in a government approved solid waste landfill.
- PhRMA supports the American Medicine Chest Challenge (AMCC), a community-based public health initiative with law enforcement partnership designed to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse (www.americanmedicinechest.com). The AMCC provided a nationwide day of disposal of unused, unwanted and expired medicine held in communities across the country.
- PhRMA works with The Partnership at Drugfree.org in developing various community resources to combat prescription drug abuse.
Prescription medicines, when used as prescribed, are critical to improving and extending patient health. However, when misused or abused they can be dangerous and even deadly. America’s biopharmaceutical research sector will continue to actively work with all relevant stakeholders to educate them on the appropriate use of medicines with the goal of helping to prevent the abuse and misuse of medicines and promote safe disposal practices.
Other Resources:
- PhRMA Statement on Combating Prescription Drug Abuse
- PhRMA Facts on Prescription Drug Abuse
- SMARxT Disposal Poster
- SMARxT Disposal Brochure
- SMARxT Disposal video of secure disposal
- DEA National Take Back Day Brochure
- National Council for Patient Information and Education brochure, “Think It Through”
- Educational supplement, “Stay Smart, Don’t Start”
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