STRATEGY 6 – Change Physical Design
Safeguard Rx medications to help ensure that they will not be abused. Strategies include the use of lock boxes and the integration of take-back events.
Target everyone—teens and parents, law enforcement officers, health care professionals, educators, homebuilders, youth service professionals, businesses and policy makers.
Print out this document, and check off the strategies that are most relevant to your community.
- Launch, support and encourage Lock Your Meds™ campaigns, take-back programs and other related initiatives, and consider disseminating free Rx medication lock boxes during National Drug-Take Back days and all year round.
- Collaborate with local builders on creating Rx safe boxes so residents have the option of safeguarding their prescription medicines.
- To prevent teens from ordering Rx prescriptions over the Internet, encourage parents to locate family computers in main living areas so teen Internet usage can be monitored.
- Encourage parents and adult caregivers to prohibit computer access to online pharmacies through the use of parental blocks.
- Collaborate with your community’s zoning department to help ensure that there aren’t too many pain clinics in your community relative to the number of residents, and that these facilities are legitimate pain clinic, not “pill mills.” If you’re not sure, talk to your local medical association and/or local hospital. They are most likely aware of the pain clinics in your community.
- Provide briefings to your local law enforcement agencies about the problem of teen Rx abuse. Make sure they
- Know the signs and symptoms of abuse.
- Use interventions to provide wake-up calls to teens and their families.
- Refer affected families to appropriate health care professionals.