Keep Your Prescription Medication Safe From Theft And Abuse
February 3, 2008 by Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Many of you reading this right now are taking some kind of prescription medication. Maybe you’re prescribed more than one medication. Zoloft or Prozac to even out your chemicals and help fight depression. Seroquel or Lamictal to help keep the pole balanced. Xanax or Ativan to calm your ass down.
Whether it’s an antidepressant, anticonvulsant, antipsychotic, or antianxiety medication (my, quite a few “antis” there, huh?) , you need to know how to keep your prescription medication safe from theft and abuse.
Luckily, I’ve had experience in such matters and can pass along some tips.
- Use a lock. The last thing you want to do is slap an unsightly lock on your medicine cabinet. Honestly, what home decor does that go with? But if it means keeping your prescription medications safe, perhaps it’s the lesser of two evils. You could also consider getting a safe or lock box.
- Be anything but obvious. I’ve never stolen anyone’s medications, but if I were going to, it seems to me the first place I’d look would be the medicine cabinet. If you feel the need to be more discreet, i.e. if there’s a big chance someone may invade your medicine cabinet, look for less obvious hiding spots. Just remember to make sure the temperature agrees with your medicine’s storage instructions.
- Fill only what you need. If your doctor writes a large prescription, but you only need half to last a month, only fill half. That way, other other half is always safe until you get it filled.
- Avoid purses, pockets, glove compartments, etc. Undoubtedly, there are going to be times when you need to keep your medicine in such places (especially your purse or pocket). However, never use these places as primary storage for your medications. They’re easy targets.
- Consider splitting your medicines up. If you take more than one kind of prescription medication, think about storing each one in a different location. That way, the chances of each medication getting swiped are lessened.
- Don’t make empty threats. If you catch someone sneaking around your medicine cabinet, or actually catch them in the act of taking your pills, don’t make empty threats. If you say you’re going to kick them out of your home, kick them out of your home. If you say you’re going to call the police, call the police. You may not want to add additional trouble to this person’s life, but the fact of the matter is you don’t deserve to have to suffer from their problems – especially if they aren’t getting help for themselves. You need to worry about your health problems (and let’s not forget financial problems, considering how expensive prescription medications are!), and making empty threats only keeps the door open for potential future theft.
Yes, I know it’s sad. We have our own health problems to worry about, and we shouldn’t have to worry about protecting the medications that help make us better from thieves and addicts; however, the presences of theft and drug addiction are very real. Hopefully taking these tips into consideration will help keep your prescription medications safe.
EDIT: After I wrote and published this post, FOX aired an anti-drug commercial geared toward parents keeping their medicines out of reach of children. The clever little spot featured your run-of-the-mill drug dealer on a random corner in Anywhere, USA, lecturing parents about how he no longer had customers, thanks to them. Awesome commercial, although some are a bit tiffed about budget cuts and the money spent to make it.
Read more about it: Feds use Super Bowl to fight Rx drug abuse Ads warn parents of danger lurking in their own medicine.
This is a needed warning to everyone. Heath Ledger is just another victim of the prescription drug epidemic that is taking the lives of people of all ages and all economic classes.
As the director of Novus Medical Detox, we daily see the ravages of prescription drugs. We need to wake up soon to the facts–some of these prescription drugs are just legal heroin and cocaine. They have the same molecular structure and create the same effects–except that they have the mantle of “legitimacy” because they can be obtained from a licensed pharmacy.
We have to keep these dangerous drugs away from our children and others for whom they are not prescribed.
Steve Hayes
http://www.novusdetox.com
I very much agree, Steve. Growing up where I grew up, and living where I live, well, I have to admit that sometimes it seems like an overwhelmingly hopeless situation. The problem is so bad and so widespread. Now that I think about it, there’s been an addict in my life in some way at any given point during the last 13 years or so – these are “tips” I’ve learned the hard way.
During the Super Bowl tonight, I saw one of those “anitdrug” commercials, and it was dedicated to parents keeping their medications out of reach of their children. Great timing, with this post and all
Thanks for chiming in.
I totally agree. I purchased a lock box manufactured by a company called IdeaStream™ Consumer Products, LLC but marketed under the brand name Vaultz. I do NOT recommend using this product as a “friend” was able to bend the latch mechanism up without breaking the lock (so the combination still works and “secures”). He must have hit me twice because I went to the box one week after putting the medication in it and setting the combination and I thought it looked like some of my medication MAY have been missing (took some pills but left some pills). But then about a week ago this person was in my home and I had moved the location of the box (hid it in the back of my bedroom closet and locked it via combination!) and I found him in my room (not caught in the act) asked him to stay out of my room or leave my home (during a small gathering) and then upon everyone leaving we checked the box and sure enough, it was in the same location but with all of the meds GONE and the combination lock in tact.
I wrote to the company, called this persons doctor to tell them he may be in trouble and would call the police but I’m liable for his consumption of medications prescribed to me while he is in my home even if I did what I thought I could to help prevent his addicted thievery!
It’s so upsetting that people do this. I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with this particular individual anymore but I’m still very very scared to keep any medication in my home since I often have prescription narcotics and anti anxiety medication for two severe medical conditions which I’m closely monitored for.
I’m glad people are talking about this because it hurts when someone steals your needed medication but it hurts worse when you learn that your friend is in the grips of addiction, will steal from you and you have to cut them loose.
Again, thanks for bringing this up. I hope you get more responses!
Sincerely
Susie
This was well written. The commercials about prescription pill abuse have no call to action. I felt it was time to offer lock boxes to house medication. I created a sit and hope that even if people don’t buy from me, they buy a good lock for their medication. If you know of any additional products that you found to be good, I would love to hear from you.
All this is good advice. I had my purse stolen a few months back.. In it I had my needed medications; along with a glucose meter. I now keep my medicines locked up at home and only carry enough medicine on me for emergencies (one dose of each). I take 2 seizure meds, a diabetic med, and Ativan (this is a seizure breaker for me). The downside to this precaution is that it is illegal to have pills of any kind; prescription or otherwise, in an unmarked container. i was advised by the local police department to carry a printout from the pharmacy to show what i have. This is no guarantee that I will not be arrested, (it all depends on whether the officer wants to push it), but it does give me a little bit of security. Its a catch 22. Carry the prescription bottles with all my meds and risk them getting stolen, or carry an emergency supply in a pill caddy and risk an arrest. This normally would not concern me because i never do anything illegal, but i live in a drug and gang infested area where 4 or more people walking together is grounds for being stopped and searched. Thanks to the criminals, law abiding citizens now have to worry about issues such as this.
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