Most overdose deaths in Mississippi are accidental, caused by prescription drugs. Proper storage and disposal of medications can prevent injuries and deaths from drug abuse and drug overdoses.
Prescription abuse is taking any medication prescribed for someone else, or taking a higher dosage or in a manner than has not been prescribed.
Prescription drug abuse is a national epidemic – more than 115 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Opioids (including prescription opioids and heroin) killed more than 33,000 people in 2015, more than any year on record. Nearly half of all opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid. The rate of overdose deaths involving opioids has doubled since 2000, and southern states, including Mississippi, have the most prescriptions per person for opioid painkillers.
Who Is at Risk
Painkiller Prescriptions
Mississippi's per-capita rate of painkiller prescriptions is one of the highest in the nation.
Source: CDC (2016)
- Men were more likely to die from overdose, but the mortality gap between men and women is closing. CDC
- Prescription drug abuse by women is rapidly rising. About 18 women die each day from prescription painkiller overdoses. CDC
- Newborns whose mothers abused prescription drugs can suffer drug withdrawal problems (neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS). CDC
- Children visit emergency departments twice as often for medication poisoning than for poisonings from household products. Pediatrics
- As many as 1 in 4 adults who receive long-term opioid prescriptions for non-cancer pain struggles with lifelong addiction. CDC
- Prescription medications are now the most commonly abused drugs among youth 12-13 years old. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids
- Teens’ ease of access to prescription medicines in the home is a key factor in drug misuse and abuse.
- Soldiers and veterans surviving serious injuries are at increased risk for abuse of prescription painkillers. JAMA
- Overuse of prescription painkillers for occupational injuries is becoming an epidemic in workers’ compensation systems. ACOEM
What You Can Do
Nationally, almost 70 percent of people who abused prescription drugs say they got them from a family member or friend. Proper prescription drug disposal ensures that drugs won't fall into the hands of those they can hurt the most.
- Painkillers are the most commonly abused prescription drug. If you are taking pain medication, develop a pain management plan with your doctor to make sure you're receiving the right amount of pain medication.
- Always store prescription drugs securely, and not easily accessed by others. Keep track of quantities, and keep the drugs in a locked medicine cabinet if possible.
- Properly dispose of medications once treatment is completed. Check the label or patient information guide for disposal instructions. Your pharmacist can also tell you about safe drug drop-off locations to dispose of leftover medications.
What Mississippi Is Doing: The Prescription Monitoring Program
The Mississippi Prescription Monitoring Program is an electronic tracking program managed by the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy to help practitioners and medical dispensers identify possible inappropriate use of controlled substance drugs and other designated medications. The online service supplies a patient’s controlled substance prescription history and information about the prescriber and dispenser. This program supports the legitimate use of controlled substances while helping to safeguard public health and safety.
Resources
Infographics and posters
- U.S. Prescribing Rate Maps CDC
- Posters, graphics and fact sheets
Resources to improve communication between providers and patients about the risks and benefits of opioid therapy for chronic pain
Reports, Research and Data
- Data Brief: Mississippi Opioid Epidemic Data and Actions at a Glance, 2016 and 2017
- Epidemiological Report: Mississippi Opioid-Related Hospitalizations and ED Visits, 2014-2017
- Epidemiological Report: 2016 Update on Dose and Duration of Prescriptions for Opioids in Mississippi, Rates and Trends
- More reports and briefs
State agencies and organizations
- Mississippi Board of Pharmacy
- Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure
- Mississippi Board of Nursing
- Mississippi Department of Mental Health
- Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics
- Mississippi Division of Medicaid
- Mississippi Pharmacists Association
- Mississippi Medical Association
- Mississippi Nursing Association
- Mississippi Association of Nurse Practitioners
- Mississippi Academy of Physician Assistants
- Stand Up Mississippi
National organizations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Office of National Drug Control Policy
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- National Institute on Drug Abuse
- National Association of State and Territorial Health Officers (ASTHO)
- National Association of State Controlled Substances Authorities (NASCSA)
- Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)
Best practices
- CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain
Includes clinical tools and resources for patient education
- National Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Strategy CLAAD
- National Survey on Drug Use and Health SAMHSA
- Preventing Prescription Drug Misuse, Abuse, and Diversion Across the Continuum ASTHO
- Recommendations for Preventing Drug Abuse and Excessive Alcohol Use ASTHO
- PDMP Center of Excellence: Guidelines and Best Practices
- Enhancing Access to Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Using Health Information Technology (2012) SAMHSA
Additional links
- Drug Abuse Awareness Network (DAWN)
- Prescription Drug Monitoring Information Exchange (PMIX)
- National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators
- National Association of State Controlled Substances Authorities (NASCSA)
- DrugFree.org: Parents and Teens Against Drug Abuse
- The National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws (NAMSDL)
