Mississippi State Department of Health

Store and Dispose of Drugs Safely

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Leftover prescription medications can be dangerous, especially when consumed by children or teens. Medications should be used only by the person they are prescribed for.

Your Home Can Be a Dangerous Source of Drugs

The household medicine cabinet is one of the most common sources of stimulants, opioids and other drugs that are behind the tragedy of overdoses. There you will probably find a variety of prescription medications that you no longer need. The best way to protect others in your home from an accidental overdose is to keep these medications out of reach. When you are through with prescription drugs, leftovers should be disposed of properly so that they do not endanger others.

Dispose of Medications Properly

Unused medications should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet. They must be disposed of properly to ensure that your medication will not be misused by others or harm the environment.

To dispose of medications, you can:

To safely dispose of medications at home:

Avoid Accidental Overdoses

Follow the Correct Dosage

Follow your physician’s advice when it comes to proper dosage of any prescribed medication, especially when it comes to painkillers and opioids. Never take more than the amount prescribed, unless specifically advised by your doctor.

Avoid Illegal Drugs

It is against the law to distribute and consume certain dangerous drugs. Illegal drugs can lead to an overdose and even death, especially in children and teens. Avoid all drugs that are not prescribed for you and obtained from a pharmacist.

Understand the Risk

Overdoses are more common than you think. Mississippi has an ongoing epidemic of overdoses and overdose deaths. MSDH issues regular reports on overdose deaths and the current opioid crisis.

Naloxone can reverse an overdose from opioids, including heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioid medications. Naloxone is also known as Narcan®, Kloxxado®, Zimhi® and RiVive®.

If you or someone you know is at an increased risk for opioid overdose, you should carry naloxone and keep it at home.

Naloxone is available by requesting a prescription from your local pharmacist, or by asking for its non-prescription form (RiVive or Narcan). The pharmacy will charge you retail price, or a co-pay if it is covered by your insurance.

Individuals can request a naloxone kit from the Mississippi State Department of Health and receive it by mail at no charge.

Organizations can also request naloxone in bulk for distribution.



Links referenced on this page
Find a Take Back location    https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/
Request a free drug disposal pouch    https://forms.office.com/r/whxNXSJc0j
Read the latest reports    http://msdh.ms.gov/page/44,0,382,740.html ok
request a naloxone kit    https://apps.msdh.ms.gov/redcap/surveys/?s=DYL3F4MNF9M4PE37
request naloxone in bulk    https://apps.msdh.ms.gov/redcap/surveys/?s=RFNL4YXPKCHTRCPY
Request an individual naloxone kit    https://apps.msdh.ms.gov/redcap/surveys/?s=DYL3F4MNF9M4PE37
Request naloxone in bulk for distribution by an organization    https://apps.msdh.ms.gov/redcap/surveys/?s=RFNL4YXPKCHTRCPY
More about naloxone    https://odfree.org/get-naloxone/

Find this page at http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/index.cfm

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