The Bryan County Opioid Prevention Project (BCOPP) will give away prescription drug lockboxes in February at Richmond Hill Pharmacy and Bedingfield Pharmacy in Pembroke to every household who gets a prescription filled for a controlled substance, such as opioids or painkillers.

“It is vital to not share and safely store controlled-substance prescriptions in your home,” said Bryan County Opioid Prevention Project Coordinator Mary Fuller. “Approximately 70 percent of all people who misuse opioid prescription drugs get them from family members and friends – often without the medication owners’ knowledge that their pills are being taken. Lockboxes can prevent the misuse of prescription drugs, protecting our families and the community.”

Storing prescription painkillers and other medications in a lockbox, safe or locked medicine cabinet is one of the most effective ways to prevent abuse or accidental use. Opioid painkiller prescriptions may be some of the most abused medications available, but that doesn’t mean others aren’t dangerous as well. Any prescription drug in a home can be hazardous. If medications are misused, unintentionally consumed by small children, or used by a curious teenager, the results could be disastrous and lead to poisoning, injury, or even death. Locking up prescriptions helps to ensure they are not taken by people for whom they weren’t meant.

BCOPP was established to work with community partners to implement effective strategies to prevent opioid and prescription drug misuse and abuse in Bryan County. The organization offers youth prevention education, parent education sessions, and employer support programs to the Bryan County community.

For more information about the dangers of opioids and other prescription drugs, please visit www.bryanprevention.com.