Most teens who misuse medications find them in their own homes or in the homes of friends and relatives.

Communication: Talk to your kids and teens about the dangers of taking medicine which is not prescribed to them. For more information on how to talk to your kids about drugs, visit TalkAboutItMO.com.

Storage: The safest way to store your prescriptions is to lock them up in a safe, cabinet, or lockable box. Store refrigerated medications in a lockable box away from food items.

Disposal: Safely dispose of unwanted or leftover medicine. Here are some tips for safe disposal of medication:

• Participate in a drug take-back day
• Use a medicine disposal kiosk or a drug mail-back
• Visit a drop off location near you. If there isn’t one near you, ask your pharmacy or local police/sheriff’s station if they will accept prescription medicines (or if they know where you may dispose of them). Find drop off locations near you here.
• Use a medication disposal pouch such as DisposeRX® or Deterra® (You may contact us to get a disposal pouch free of charge.) Learn more here.