Get Personalized Text Messages on Medication Safety and Rx Safety
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Here, you’ll find answers to best help you and your family practice Rx safety and make decisions about managing pain effectively and safely. Knowing how to prevent opioid misuse, as well as manage and safeguard your prescription medications, is important for everyone’s well-being.
There is also a nationwide surge in counterfeit pain medications. These fake pills look nearly identical to those you get at a legitimate pharmacy, but many are laced with fentanyl – a powerful and often deadly painkiller. This means it’s more important than ever to get any prescription pain medications from a legitimate pharmacy, and it’s essential that you find a safe solution to address pain.
We want you to understand the questions to ask your provider concerning the many non-addictive solutions available and how to reduce the risks if you have to take an opioid pain medication. While many people use opioid medications safely, they pose a greater risk of addiction and overdose, which are preventable with many other pain management options available.
Partnership to End Addiction has been a lifeline for families impacted by addiction for more than a decade, and many of our resources are written with families in mind. However, our resources can be helpful to anyone interested in addiction prevention, treatment and recovery.
When seeking help to manage pain, it’s best to consult your health care provider or a pain management specialist. They can talk to you about the kind of pain you are experiencing, its impact on your life and your pain management goals.
If you are experiencing acute pain, you may wish to ask your healthcare provider about a test called AvertD. Recently approved by the FDA, this test can assess your risk of developing opioid use disorder (OUD). It’s available by prescription only for people who are 18 years and older and has to be used before any oral opioid pain medications are taken. In addition to a complete evaluation, AvertD may help people with acute pain make better informed decisions when it comes to pain management.
There are many solutions to consider, and while there are possible side effects with all of them, there is a lower risk of dependence and addiction with non-opioid pain medications.
If your child is in recovery or you're worried about them using opioids, there are many alternatives that can help alleviate their pain. Read More
When your child is in recovery, they may need a medical or dental procedure where the standard pain treatment is opioids. Here's how to deal with it. Read More
Sometimes prescription opioids are necessary and cannot be avoided. If this is the case, it’s important to take the smallest dose for the shortest period of time to reduce the risks of misuse, dependence, addiction and overdose. Once the pain is under control or tolerable, you may wish to switch to a non-opioid alternative. Learn more about what to consider if opioid pain relievers are prescribed for you or your family members, and make sure you have naloxone, a medication to reverse an opioid overdose, on hand.
Special precautions are needed for opioid pain pills if you or a loved one are at risk of developing substance use problems or have a history of addiction and are in recovery. Under these circumstances, it’s best to use only non-opioid pain solutions, if possible.
Opioids are powerful drugs with a high risk for dependency. Taken in high doses, and/or with other substances can result in respiratory distress and death. Read More
The overprescribing of prescription pain relievers has been a major cause of the opioid epidemic. Know what to ask when your child is prescribed opioids. Read More
Medications may be a critical part of your loved one’s recovery plan. It’s important that your loved one have a trusting relationship with their provider to openly discuss how their medications can help with symptom relief. Read More
Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) help treat opioid use disorder by reducing withdrawal symptoms and cravings and helping to prevent relapse. As part of a comprehensive treatment plan, it is considered the gold standard of care. Read More
Learn more about medication-assisted treatment — what it is, how it's used, and how you can best support your child through treatment. Read More
If there is a woman in your life who is pregnant and addicted to opioids, it is possible to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Read More
If you or a loved one has been prescribed a prescription pain reliever, one of your first concerns may be about safety. What are the risks, and how do I use them safely? And, how do I safely get rid of pills once I’m done with them?
We’ve gathered essential articles and videos to help answer your questions about preventing misuse and safeguarding your medications. Learn how to talk with your kids, in particular about the dangers of counterfeit pills, the health risks of misusing medications, how to dispose of them safely and more.
Young people are among the mostly likely to misuse medication, which can lead to serious, even deadly, consequences. Understand the risks and how to protect your loved ones. Read More
Take action by having frequent conversations with the teens and young adults in your life about the dangers of medicine misuse. Learn how. Read More
Learn more about the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone (also known by the brand name Narcan). Read More
Two-thirds of teens who report misusing Rx medication get it from friends, family and acquaintances. Learn proper storage and disposal to help prevent misuse. Read More
Safe disposal of unused prescription medicine begins at home. Read More
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