<p>Understanding factors that contribute to the disposal of unused opioid medication</p>

Abstract

Purpose Drivers of excess controlled substance disposal behaviors are not well understood. A survey of patients who had received opioid-based medications was conducted to inform the design of future innovative drug take-back programs. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey study conducted in 152 participants who received treatment with an opioid within the previous 2 years and had possession of unused medication following either switching to a different opioid or discontinuation of pain. Results Approximately one-third of patients had disposed of their unused opioid medication. Education about the importance of and appropriate methods for drug disposal was associated with a significantly increased likelihood of patients disposing of unused medication, and it was observed that patients prescribed an immediate-release/short-acting opioid were twice as likely to keep their medication compared to those prescribed an extended-release/long-acting opioid. The most commonly reported methods for disposal were via drug return kiosks and flushing the medication down the toilet. Some of the most impactful drivers of unused opioid disposal were routine practice of disposing of all unused drugs and instruction from a health care provider, and the most common driver of keeping unused medication was the desire to have it on-hand should there be a need to treat pain in the future. Over 80 % of patients indicated that they would be more likely to use a drug take-back service if they were offered compensation or if the kiosk was in a location that they visited frequently, and approximately half of the patients indicated that they would be willing to request an initial partial fill of an opioid prescription to reduce the volume of unused medication. Conclusion There is a clear need to increase patient awareness about the importance and methods of proper medication disposal, and a great opportunity for health care providers to increase patient education efforts. These study findings also highlight key areas for improvement in drug take-back programs that may promote and incentivize more patients to utilize the services.

Development and implementation of SafeMedWaste, a chemical denaturant for non-hazardous disposal of controlled medications

“…However, their data suggests that patients respond well to being given a safe and easy option to dispose of their unused medication. A survey of 152 patients who were in possession of unused prescription opioid medications found that over 80% of participants agreed that they would be more likely to use a drug take-back program if it were offered in a convenient location, such as a pharmacy 32 . Another study showed that, while around 50% of prescribed opioids went unused after dental surgery, the likelihood of patients to dispose of the unused medications increased 22% when they were informed of a pharmacy take-back program 8 .…”

<p>Safe Opioid Storage and Disposal: A Survey of Patient Beliefs and Practices</p>

“…The present survey corroborates prior research indicating that storing opioid prescription medication in an unlocked location is common practice for most patients, as is failing to dispose of unused medications. 3,7,8 In addition, this study adds to the literature by presenting key information regarding the rationale behind patient opioid storage/disposal behavior, as well as the impact of the perceived risk of diversion on patient behaviors. For example, the vast majority of patients who stored their medications in an unlocked location did so because they were not concerned about anyone taking their drugs, despite the fact that most patients resided with ≥1 other individual.…”

“…6 Prior research indicates that keeping unused medication is common practice for patients, as is storing unused medication in unlocked locations. 3,7,8 A 2019 US cross-sectional study of patients with opioid prescriptions (N=152) found that only onethird disposed of their unused opioids. 8 Similarly, according to a 2015 national survey of US adults with recent opioid prescriptions (N=1032), nearly two-thirds of patients kept or planned to keep unused opioids for future use.…”

“…3,7,8 A 2019 US cross-sectional study of patients with opioid prescriptions (N=152) found that only onethird disposed of their unused opioids. 8 Similarly, according to a 2015 national survey of US adults with recent opioid prescriptions (N=1032), nearly two-thirds of patients kept or planned to keep unused opioids for future use. 7 A 2016 systematic review of 6 US studies across 7 different types of surgery concluded that patients seldom stored and disposed of opioids properly: 73% to 77% stored opioids in unlocked locations, 67% to 92% had unused prescription opioids, and only 4% to 30% disposed of or planned to dispose of unused prescription opioids.…”

The Opioid-overdose Reduction Continuum of Care Approach (ORCCA): Evidence-based practices in the HEALing Communities Study

“…Studies have shown that leftover medication from an opioid prescription is common ( Bicket et al, 2017 ; Kennedy-Hendricks et al, 2016 ) and that patient education regarding disposal practices can increase opioid disposal rates ( Hasak et al, 2018 ), although education about disposal is suboptimal ( Gregorian et al, 2020 ). According to a recent study, only 30% of persons who had received an opioid prescription in the previous two years disposed of their unused opioid medication; however, over 80% indicated they would be more likely to dispose of opioid medications in the future if disposal kiosks were in a location they visited frequently ( Buffington et al, 2019 ).…”