Preventing Rx Abuse in Your Community

1. Preventing Rx Abuse in Your Community

2. About this presentation The following PowerPoint slides were obtained from presentations on Rx abuse prevention from the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI), the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE) and CADCA. Coalitions should feel free to adapt these slides into their education and outreach activities. Here’s what you’ll find: • The Teen – Rx Abuse Connection • Facts & Stats • Teen & Adult Attitudes About Rx Abuse • Outreach to Teens, Parents, Families & Community • Want to Learn More? We have placed relevant source information in the notes section of each slide Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

3. The Teen – Rx Abuse Connection Rx Medications are All Around Us…and Teens Notice • Patients leave the doctor’s office with a prescription in hand in 7 out of 10 visits. • Direct-to-consumer advertising on TV and in magazines is pervasive. • Many people don’t know how to safely use these medications or ignore their doctor’s instructions. Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

4. As a result… Rx drugs are part of teen culture. Teens: • Normalize this form of drug abuse. • Take these meds for legitimate reasons – with or without a prescription – to stay awake, remain alert or to go to sleep. • Purposely abuse these drugs to get high. They participate in “pharming” and “bowling” parties. • Are often unaware that these activities can lead to disastrous results. Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

5. Teenagers don’t know that abusing Rx drugs can: • Increase blood pressure or heart rate. • Damage the brain and other organs. • Lead to accidental overdose / poisonings. • Cause physical dependency and / or addiction. • Disrupt breathing (respiratory depression). • Lead to risks associated with mixing multiple drugs or combining with alcohol. • Cause seizures and even death. Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

6. Facts & Stats While Rx drugs serve an important purpose when used under a doctor’s care, the misuse of Rx drugs is a growing, under-recognized problem that puts young lives at risk. Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

7. Next to marijuana, the most common illegal drugs teens are abusing are prescription medications. • Twenty percent of U.S. high school students say they have taken Rx drugs without consulting a doctor. • 1 in 5 teens has abused Rx drugs. • 1 in 3 teens say there is “nothing wrong” with abusing Rx medications “every once in a while.” • Every day, almost 2,500 teens abuse an Rx medication for the first time. Did you know? Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

8. Teens’ Rx Drugs of Choice For Abuse Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

9. Rx Access Points— Friends & Family Source of Concern SAMHSA. (2008). Results from the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings (Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series: H-34, DHHS Publication No. SMA 08-4343). Rockville, MD. Available at: www.oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh/2k7nsduh/2k7Results.pdf Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

10. Teens & Adult attitudesabout Rx abuse MIXING OVER-THE-COUNTER COLD MEDICATION and someone else's prescription painkillers CAUSED THE DEATH OF MY SON…I could get my hands on prescription medicines AS FAST AS I COULD BUY A PIZZA…the problem IS AS CLOSE AS YOUR MEDICINE CABINET…PART OF ME DIED THAT DAY when my daughter was taken away on a gurney…TEEN RX ABUSE is more than an emerging problem. Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

11. Teens say that… Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

12. Parental / Guardian beliefs & attitudes • Many parents aren’t aware of the dangers of Rx abuse – it’s just not on their radar screen. • Rx medicines can be found in homes of family or friends, and parents don’t realize the connection between teen Rx abuse and easy availability. • Many parents do not know how to effectively talk with their teens about Rx drug abuse. • They often find out about an Rx problem when it is too late. Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

13. EDUCATE Watch for Physical Warning Signs • Excessive sweating, urination or thirst • Nausea and vomiting • Uncontrollable diarrhea • Spastic shaking • Drowsiness, dizziness and insomnia • Loss of consciousness • Physical dependence • Addiction Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

14. EDUCATE Watch for Physical Warning Signs • Sudden mood changes, including irritability, negative attitude, personality change. • Extreme changes in groups of friends or hangout locations. • Lying or being deceitful, unaccounted time away from home/missed school days, avoiding eye contact. • Losing interest in personal appearance, extracurricular activities or sports. • Poor performance at school. • Borrowing money or having extra cash. • Visiting and even purchasing from pro-drug abuse (illegal) web sites. Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

15. COMMUNICATE Talk to teens about Rx abuse • Teens learn by example. When they see mom, dad, a sibling or grandparent taking a pill – even responsibly – it doesn’t seem so bad. • Many teens report that their parents have the greatest influence on their drug use attitudes and decisions. • Kids who continue to learn about the risks of drugs at home are up to 50% less likely to use drugs than those who are not taught about these dangers. Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

16. COMMUNICATE Talking to teens “DENORMALIZE” THE BEHAVIOR While 1 in 5 teens are abusing Rx drugs, 4 in 5 are not. DEBUNK COMMON MYTHS: Rx abuse is just as dangerous as abusing other substances; it can be addictive; and it’s not OK to misuse these drugs even “once in a while.” PROVIDE CLEAR GUIDELINES If you’re a parent, let teens know you will be disappointed if they abuse Rx medications and watch how you use medicines in front of teens. GIVE TEENS ESCAPE ROUTES Teach them how to get out of bad situations; and suggest responses they can use so they don’t feel “uncool.” • “No, thanks – not into it.” • “Not today.” • “I’m not interested.” Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

17. SAFEGUARD Keep track of your meds Parents (and other family members) are in the best position to reduce access to prescription drugs by locking up medicines and properly disposing of expired or unused medicines. • Monitor all medications in the home—prescription and OTC medicines. • Safely store medicines out of children’s reach and sight. Consider locking them up. • Get rid of old or unused medicines. Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

18. SAFEGUARD Guidelines for Rx drug disposal FEDERAL GUIDELINES • Refer to October 15, 2009 FDA Guidelines for Disposal by Flushing. • Do not flush down toilet or drain unless label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs you to do so. • Dispose of Rx drugs not labeled to be flushed through community drug take-back programs. If a program is not available, dispose of medications appropriately: • Take medication out of its original packaging and place it into a disposablecontainer with a lid or into a sealable bag. • Mix drugs with an undesirable substance (e.g., cat litter or used coffeegrounds). • Place sealed container with the mixture and original packaging (be sure toremove all personal information from the packaging) in the trash. Office of National Drug Control Policy. Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs. 2009. Available at: www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/prescrip_disposal.pdf Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

19. SAFEGUARD Guidelines for Rx drug disposal FEDERAL GUIDELINES • Refer to October 15, 2009 FDA Guidelines for Disposal by Flushing. • Do not flush down toilet or drain unless label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs you to do so. • Dispose of Rx drugs not labeled to be flushed through community drug take-back programs. If a program is not available, dispose of medications appropriately: • Take medication out of its original packaging and place it into a disposablecontainer with a lid or into a sealable bag. • Mix drugs with an undesirable substance (e.g., cat litter or used coffeegrounds). • Place sealed container with the mixture and original packaging (be sure toremove all personal information from the packaging) in the trash. Office of National Drug Control Policy. Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs. 2009. Available at: www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/prescrip_disposal.pdf Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action

20. Want to learn more? ABOVE THE INFLUENCE http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/facts/drugs-prescription-otc.aspx# COMMUNITY ANTI-DRUG COALITIONS OF AMERICAwww.cadca.org THE DRUG TAKE-BACK NETWORK http://www.takebacknetwork.com/ NATIONAL CONCIL ON PATIENT INFORMATION AND EDUCATION www.talkaboutrx.org NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DRUG DIVERSION INVESTIGATORS www.naddi.org NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE, PRESCRIPTION DRUGS http://www.nida.nih.gov/drugpages/prescription.html PARTNERSHIP FOR A DRUG-FREE AMERICA www.drugfree.org WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY, EFFORTS TO REDUCE PRESCRITION DRUG ABUSEhttp://ofsubstance.gov/blogs/pushing_back/archive/2010/07/06/51426.aspx Rx Abuse Prevention Toolkit - from awareness to action