Community-based medication disposal pilot initiative in southwest tribal communities.

BACKGROUND: Misuse and abuse of prescription drugs including opioids has been a driving force behind the drug overdose epidemic plaguing communities across the USA for more than two decades. Medication accumulation in the home environment can contribute to this issue. However, research on proper disposal in rural communities is limited. For this project, an applied public health approach was used to raise awareness and improve prescription drug disposal practices by pilot testing prescription drug disposal systems in participating communities. METHODS: A community-based disposal project was facilitated with assistance from community partners. The project centered on distribution of drug deactivation bags in homes and medication drop boxes at multiple healthcare facilities. RESULTS: The team distributed 215 drug deactivation bags to 162 community households resulting in destruction of 8011 pills, 8 medicated dermal patches and 777 mL of liquid medication. A total of 4684 pounds of medication were collected and disposed of through healthcare facility drop boxes. CONCLUSION: The strategies identified are scalable and easy to replicate to meet any community's needs in reducing potential challenges of medication diversion.

Prescription drug safe storage practices in Arizona tribal communities.

This paper provides an overview of an opioid poisoning prevention pilot project conducted in several American Indian/Alaskan Native communities using an applied public health approach. The intent of the project was to identify a prescription medication safeguarding option for use in the home environment. The authors engaged the target population to obtain their buy-in to select an intervention that was acceptable and appropriate for their needs. Focus groups and key informant interviews conducted in several tribal communities resulted in the selection of a heavy-duty, lockable storage box as the intervention. Through community-based partnerships, 55 boxes were installed in participating households. Along with the box, participants also received education on safe medication storage and disposal. At baseline, only 1% of the participants reported storing their medication securely. During a 60-day follow-up visit, 95% of the observed boxes were being used to store medications. Also at baseline, 31% of the participants reported a history of lost or stolen medications. There were no reported lost or stolen medications during the 60-day project period among the participants. During the follow-up visits, project staff also found the boxes being used to store other items valuable to the participants. Reportedly, having their medication and other valuables secured in one location provided a heightened feeling of security. Since the completion of this pilot project, several organisations and entities have replicated it in their communities.