Pain Management and Opioids Guide for Consumers
Understand Pain
What Kind of Pain Do You Have?
Talk with Your Doctor about Pain
Self-Care for Pain Management
Understand Opioids
A Pain Medication
Side Effects and Risks
How to Store and Dispose
Opioid pain medications are considered a narcotic and need to be stored securely.
- Store medications in a place in your home that is out of sight from children and visitors. It’s best to use a locking medicine cabinet. If you don’t have one, travel cases that lock are available for purchase at a pharmacy or other store to safely carry prescription medicines.
- Return medication to the secure location after every use. Avoid leaving medication or pill containers on countertops, tables or nightstands in open view where they can be easily used by others.
- Do not keep loose pills in easily opened plastic bags or containers in your purse, luggage or office drawer.
Unused medications
When your medications are no longer needed, they should be disposed of properly. Do not keep these medications for later use. Keeping old pills in your home puts you at risk for:
- Accidental poisoning
- Theft
- Drug abuse
That’s why safe storage and disposal of medicines are so important.
How to properly dispose of unused medications
- Some pharmacies or law enforcement offices offer drug take-back programs. Check with your pharmacy or click here to find a Drug Take Back location near you.
- National Drug Take Back events happen at specific times throughout the year and are an opportunity for community members to safely dispose of unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs at no charge.
- Avoid flushing prescriptions down the toilet or pouring in a drain because they can pollute water supplies. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has a web page about managing unwanted medications and a search for collection sites in Minnesota.
- Earth911.com is a website all about being earth friendly. Find information on where to recycle or to search for medication takeback locations near you.