Prescription Drugs/Stimulants
Most college students do not misuse prescription medications, and the opioid crisis that is affecting many people in the United States has luckily not affected the college environment to the same degree. However, misperceptions around prescription stimulant use in the college environment exist and warrant more awareness around the negative effects of misusing this class of substances.
Prescription Drugs/Stimulants Resources
The Impact of Misusing Prescription Stimulants Video
Storing your Medication
When prescribed a prescription medication, store it in a secure location such as a lockbox, medication safe, or other lockable spaces. Avoid storage places where others have easy access, such as drawers, nightstands, or counters/cabinets.
Disposing of Medication
Once finished with a prescription medication, you have options for safely disposing of it:- OPTION #1: Place the medication in a drug drop box. To find a drop box in your area, visit: www.rxdrugdropbox.org
- OPTION #2: Take advantage of community drug take-back programs that allow the public to bring unused medications to a central location for proper disposal. Call your local law enforcement agency or ask your pharmacist to see if a take-back program is available in your community.
- OPTION #3: Dispose of the medication at home. Before completing these steps, we encourage you to follow any disposal instructions on the drug’s label or patient information sheet. If disposal instructions are not given, complete these three steps:
- Step 1: Remove the pills from the original container and mix them with an undesirable substance such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter.
- Step 2: Throw away the sealed mixture into the trash.
- Step 3: Remove the prescription label and dispose of the empty bottle. NOTE: In general, you should not flush medications down a toilet or drain; however, the FDA still recommends the disposal of certain drugs by flushing.
Legal Considerations
- Possessing prescription medications without a valid prescription is illegal.
- Giving or selling your prescription medication to another person is illegal.
Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Course
We offer this online Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention course to educate our community members about the risks associated with prescription medication abuse, and how to help prevent misuse and abuse from occurring.The Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention course takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and covers the following:
- Opioids, stimulants, and depressants
- Proper prescription drug use, storage, and disposal
- Brain and body: the science of addiction
- Simulations: refusal and bystander skills
- Debunking common myths