Did you know that one of the recommended ways to dispose of some opioids is to flush the unused medicine down the toilet?
More than 100 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose, and millions are addicted to opioids. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched Remove the Risk, an education and outreach campaign to raise awareness about the serious risks of keeping unused prescription opioids in the home and to provide information about safe disposal of these drugs. Unused opioids—such as hydrocodone, morphine, and oxycodone—are dangerous to have in your home when they are no longer needed. Children or pets can accidentally take unused opioids or visitors might search for them in your drawers and medicine cabinets. Remove the risk of your unused opioids and help address the devastating opioid crisis affecting so many American families. Proper disposal of unused prescription opioids can save lives.
WHY IS OPIOID DISPOSAL IMPORTANT FOR ME AND MY FAMILY?
Prescription opioid misuse is one of the most common types of illegal drug use in the United States. Many people who misused prescription pain-reducing medicine said that they got it from a friend or relative.
HOW DO I SAFELY DISPOSE OF OPIOIDS?
Ask these questions to determine how to dispose of opioids:
- Is a medicine take-back option readily available? If so, this is the preferred option.
- If not, is the medicine on the FDA “flush list”? If it is, flush it down the toilet.
- Otherwise, throw it away in the household trash, following the directions at www.FDA.gov/DrugDisposal.
For information about all three of these methods, visit www.FDA.gov/DrugDisposal.
My name is Jimmie Stapleton. I am the founder and CEO of Arcy Healthcare. Arcy Healthcare includes Arcy Hospice, Arcy Supportive Care, MaximaCare Home Health and Arcy at Home.
Arcy Hospice was opened in 2007 to provide care and support for individuals and families facing a life limiting illness. It was established after my wife Ellen, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, had completed her chemo and radiation therapies. At that time, things were looking positive, and we wanted to do something for our community that had been so supportive of our family during her treatments. Unfortunately, the cancer returned a few years later, and she subsequently passed away under our care in 2010.
In the years that followed, I began to see the need to provide the same level of excellent care to patients across the continuum of care. Therefore, we have added a home health division (MaximaCare Home Health), a palliative care division (Arcy Supportive Care), and a home care division, (Arcy at Home). With the addition of these divisions, we can meet most of the post-acute care needs for you and your family in your home.
I started Arcy Hospice with my wife as my motivation to provide exceptional care and support in the patient’s home, where they are surrounded by family and where they feel most comfortable. I’m proud to say that our staff provides some of the best in home care in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.
Please let us know if we can enrich the quality of life for you or a loved one.
Sincerely,
Jimmie Stapleton – Founder and CEO
Arcy Healthcare
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