If you are an older adult or person living with ongoing health concerns, social distancing is an important way to protect your health during the coronavirus pandemic. While essential stores like grocery stores and pharmacies remain open in Colorado, it’s critical to stay at home as much as possible to help decrease the spread of the virus. The Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention recommends these important actions while staying at home.
If you are quarantining with family, there is an opportunity for misuse and abuse of medications by others in your home. The Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention recommends taking inventory of medications and storing them in secure locations. Be sure you know how much medication you have left so that you are aware if any is missing. Additionally, a locked location, like a safe or desk drawer, is the best place to store your meds. Watch this video by TakeMedsSeriously.org for more information about safe prescription drug storage.
If you’re taking the opportunity to clean and organize your home while social distancing, don’t forget about your medicine cabinet. This is a good time to check for expiration dates on prescription and over-the-counter medications. If you identify meds that are expired or unused, set them aside in a safe place so you can dispose of them when our communities are cleared for normal activity. You can find a list of safe medication disposal locations at TakeMedsSeriously.org. Remember, don’t flush medication or throw it in the trash.
Don’t Share Meds With Others in Your Household
“We’re all in this together” does not mean sharing prescription medication with others. Especially now, when many of us are making do with what we have in our homes, it’s critical to remember that your doctor prescribed your medication for you and only you. While your intention may be to help, sharing medication can lead to dangerous drug interactions. The best way to help a friend or family member in need is to call their doctor or pharmacist.
Get Meds Delivered
With the uncertainty about when our communities will be able to return to more normal life, it’s understandable that some people may try to conserve their medication by splitting or reducing their dosage. This is not recommended without first speaking with a doctor. The good news is that if you do need a prescription refilled, many pharmacies offer prescription drug delivery – and some are even waiving the delivery fee. Contact your pharmacy today to schedule a prescription drug drop off.
These resources may also be helpful to you:
- The Medication Assistance Tool helps patients search for financial assistance to help with medication: https://medicineassistancetool.org/
- Find helpful information on the safe use, storage, and disposal of medication in Colorado at www.takemedsseriously.org