Medicine Cabinet Inventory

OASAS Offers Medicine Cabinet Inventory to Help Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse

ALBANY, NY (11/20/2007; 1714)(readMedia)-- State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo today announced a resource to help prevent prescription drug abuse in homes across New York. A Medicine Cabinet Inventory, designed to track prescription and over the counter medicines in the home, is available on the agency's Web site, http://www.oasas.state.ny.us/AdMed/d...edCabSheet.pdf.

The Inventory provides a quick checklist that could alert family members to drug abuse problems in the home whether that involves children, adults or the elderly. For parents, the Inventory will help track medications and also provide an opportunity to talk with their children about the dangers of abusing any medications, whether they are prescribed or purchased over the counter.

The Inventory can also be a valuable tool in helping the elderly family member keep track of his or her medication. People over the age of 65 take an average of two-to-seven prescription medications per day along with over-the-counter medications which can be incorrectly thought of as harmless. Incorrect dosing and mixing of these medications can be deadly.

"This simple and useful resource will help families play an active role in preventing prescription drug abuse," said Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo. "One in five teens have reported abusing a prescription pain medication at some time or another. Clearly, this is an issue that can and does affect New Yorkers every day whether it involves children, adults or the elderly. OASAS is proud to provide this valuable tool to help protect the health and safety of families."

There has been a 154 percent increase nationally in the total number of prescriptions written by physicians, leading to increased access for teens to these medications in the home. Often, teens mistakenly believe that medications are safe because they are government approved and prescribed by a physician.

In some instances, teens "pharm" these medications, often with friends at social gatherings. "Pharming" means grabbing multiple prescription drugs and ingesting them, which can lead to a myriad of health problems, including seizures, respiratory depression and cardiovascular system failure.

In addition, certain cold medicines contain a chemical called Dextromethorphan (DXM), which, when taken in large amounts, can produce a high feeling and possibly hallucinations. When taken in large doses, DXM also produces a number of side effects, including double or blurred vision, slurred speech, loss of physical coordination, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and rapid heart beat. When taken with alcohol or other drugs, the side effects can be deadly.

The Medicine Cabinet Inventory provides a format to record the type of prescription, dosage amount, the date filled and quantity. A periodic check should be done to ensure that the medications are still safely stored. Also, parents should be familiar with the warning signs of prescription drug abuse. Warning signs can be both behavioral and physical, and may include withdrawal from normal activities, irritability, unusual requests for money, unexplained changes in friends and frequent nasal or sinus infections.

When disposing of unused medications, it is recommended that the medicine be mixed with coffee grounds, cat litter or sawdust to make them less accessible and appealing before throwing them into the garbage.

Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo continued, "We need to implement strong safeguards in the fight against prescription drug abuse. Using this chart can make a difference. I would encourage families to discuss the issue of prescription drug abuse this Thanksgiving and not assume that it can never happen in their home. Prevention is the first prescription to a healthy New York."

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services is the nation's largest system for prevention, treatment, recovery services with more than 1,400 providers across the state, which treat 110,000 New Yorkers on any given day.

http://readme.readmedia.com/news/show/OASA...rug-Abuse/16923

[rabit]

I dont think that would be a beneficial service; having my medicine cabinet catalogged. Shal we also catalog my liquor cabinet and stash box ?

I can see how it would be helpful to senior citizens but it seems a bit invasive. Who gets to view and make decisions based upon this catalog ?

I dont want anyone viewing mine.

i kinda just skimmed through that but if some one is on the ball enough to catalog there shit then they may as well hide it or since they're counting it any way, they can remember whats what and how much.

[Dybowski]

the elderly

GRANDMAS ADDICTED TO VICODIN!

[dextromancer]

fuck grandma, im addicted to vicodin.

i feel guilty sorta but i used to convince this girl to steal percs from her grandma and sell 'em to me for real cheap.

girls and there obsession with money.. i don't get it.

[Bhikku]

Originally posted by drdªv€@Nov 21 2007, 12:08 AM
The Inventory provides a quick checklist that could alert family members to drug abuse problems in the home whether that involves children, adults or the elderly.

I used to wonder where my zicam was going until i did my medicene cabinet inventory. That's when i found out Grandpa was abusing my Zicam. :P

[Criptin]

When disposing of unused medications, it is recommended that the medicine be mixed with coffee grounds, cat litter or sawdust to make them less accessible and appealing before throwing them into the garbage

Fucking Morons, If they want to drink trash tussin, let them.

Put coffee grounds in my syrup, and ill piss on your couch >.<


Also, Medicine Cabinet Inventory is totally useless for control of abusers, my friends offer me free DXM at school and in public places (as well as other drugs), it takes mea whole 4 seconds to swallow them...I dont care what half-ass old brew is in the cabinets when I can get better without even asking. lol :sleepy:

[Bhikku]

If you can stand chugging delsym, can you man up to the can litter robotussin challenge? :P

[Criptin]

They better not tempt me. XD

[Liam]

So there's this completely innocent kid, never even thought about drugs, he looks in the bin to see a bottle of cough syrup mixed with goddam saw dust... He thinks "Huh. What the fuck?!" so he googles "cough syrup + saw dust" and that's his stepping stone into the big wide world of drugs.