WHERE DO TEENS & YOUNG ADULTS GET PRESCRIPTION DRUGS?
Nearly half of teens (49%) reported they got prescription drugs from a friend, while 42% got them from their parents' medicine cabinet, according to Partnership to End Addiction. When it comes to painkillers specifically, two-thirds of teens say they got them from family or friends. Some young people are also getting counterfeit drugs on social media.
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Local youth surveys from 2018 found 30% of teens took a family member's prescription drugs and 6% of high school seniors used a stimulant without a prescription.
YOU CAN'T BE SURE A PILL IS SAFE IF...
It didn't come from a retail pharmacy.
It wasn't prescribed to you by a doctor.
A friend or family member shared their pills with you.
You bought it through social media.
You are taking your pills but differently than prescribed (too many, too often, etc.).
IT'S ONLY SAFE WHEN ...
Your doctor prescribed the pills for you. You picked them up at the local pharmacy and you are taking them as prescribed.
You can't tell if it's a counterfeit pill by looking at it.
Regardless of the medication source, if it's not prescribed for you, it's not safe.
ONLINE PHARMACY FACTS
According to The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), legitimate online pharmacies meet the following criteria:
1. They are licensed by regulators in the jurisdiction in which they are located, as well as regulators in the patient’s jurisdiction
2. Accept only valid prescriptions (dispensing pills without a prescription is a huge red flag)
3. Comply with applicable drug laws and professional practice laws
Al Carter, MS, PharmD, RPh, discussed the Buying Medication Safely Campaign from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
4. Provide readily accessible contact information for patient care inquiries
5. Comply with privacy laws and ensure patient confidentiality
You can verify whether an online retailer is authentic or not by using NABP's safe search tool.
DON'T BECOME THE "DEALER"
Anyone becomes a potential "dealer" if medication isn't stored or disposed of properly.
lock them up
dispose properly
Get more information at drugfreect.org
