Adolescent and Parent Management of Controlled Prescription Medications

Abstract

Background: Most adolescents who misuse controlled prescription medications acquire them from home settings. However, little is known regarding household management (storage, administration and disposal) of these medications. Objective: to describe household management of controlled medications Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with paired data using brief, online, confidential surveys of adolescents and parents via an adolescent medicine clinic associated with a large academic center. Eligible adolescents were 12-18 years with at least one controlled prescription medication in the home. Six core safe management strategies for controlled medications were identified based on current recommendations. Data were collected and analyzed in 2017. Results: Of the 243 adolescent-parent dyads, 78.2% (n=190) dyads store medication out of sight, 68.7% (n=167) lock up medications, 78.2% (n=190) do not store pills besides a school nurse's office or a parent's place of work, 43.6% (n=106) provide periodic parental monitoring, 64.6% (n=157) frequently dispose of unused controlled medications (at least every 3-4 months), and 80.2% (n=195) dispose of controlled medications in a prescription drug take-back program or by flushing. Families with an adolescent prescription for a controlled medication were more likely to use several core management strategies (periodic parental monitoring, frequent disposal, and appropriate disposal location). Families with a household pain reliever were 8.7 times (95% CI 3.3, 23.3) as likely to not keep spare pills in inappropriate locations.

Early Lifetime Substance Use and Development of Visual Impairment: Analysis of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health Data

“…Understanding the cumulative impact of early-onset substance use on a societal and economic basis, especially during teenage years and young adulthood, is a profound public health concern. 17 , 33 Health care costs, along with strains in the workplace, households, and local communities, have historically and systematically been impacted. Logistically, non-prescription substances create a concern, given the high rates of ease of access among young adults.…”

“…Young adolescents are susceptible to impulsivity, peer pressure or peer approval, and pleasurable drug experiences that ultimately contribute to psychological drug addiction and the use of more dangerous substances. 1 , 3 , 33 , 34 In terms of accessibility, adolescents can potentially access these medications from prescriptions of family members within their respective households or second-hand from social gatherings. 33 Contributing factors to this dynamic include social isolation and incompetency of safe management strategies for controlled medications within the household.…”

“…1 , 3 , 33 , 34 In terms of accessibility, adolescents can potentially access these medications from prescriptions of family members within their respective households or second-hand from social gatherings. 33 Contributing factors to this dynamic include social isolation and incompetency of safe management strategies for controlled medications within the household. 33 , 34…”

“… 33 Contributing factors to this dynamic include social isolation and incompetency of safe management strategies for controlled medications within the household. 33 , 34…”

Modifiable Risk Factors Associated With Disposal of Unused Prescription Drugs by Parents of Adolescents

“…However, research related to the medication disposal behaviors of parents is scant. Among a clinical sample of parents with children between 12-18 years of age and with a household member who had been prescribed a controlled medication, 83.5% of parents reported disposing of unused medications, and the majority (77.0%) utilized a disposal program (Engster et al, 2019). Parents who practiced unsafe household management, including inadequate storage and disposal behaviors, were more likely to hold risky attitudes about prescription medication (e.g., the belief that it is acceptable to share medication with others or take someone else's medication one or more times; Engster et al, 2020).…”