What do I do with this stuff now? Drug retention and disposal practices among ED patients

Misuse of opioids (e.g., the “opioid epidemic”) and antibiotics (e.g., the “antibiotic resistance crisis”) has become priority public health concerns. Opioid overdose has increased approximately three fold since 2000 [1]. Many opioid prescriptions are not being used as directed and proper disposal methods are frequently not being used, resulting in patient and household risk [2]. With regard to antibiotics, the CDC approximates that 2 million people/year become sick with antibiotic resistant ailments in the U.S.

Source: The American Journal of Emergency Medicine - June 21, 2019 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Ashley Holub, Caitlin C. Abar, Michael Kamali, Kenneth Conner, Beau Abar Source Type: research