The Opioid Crisis

As an independent pharmacy, we have seen the direct impact of the opioid crisis within our Montana communities.

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Learning About the Opioid Crisis

The opioid crisis has been a significant public health issue in recent years, affecting communities across the United States. Opioids, including prescription painkillers, can be highly addictive and can lead to overdose and death. Preventative measures are essential in protecting our communities from the opioid crisis. This includes increased access to addiction treatment programs and resources, education and awareness, and preventative measures such as safe-locking lids for prescriptions.  By working together and taking proactive steps, we can help reduce the impact of the opioid crisis and ensure that our communities are safe and healthy for everyone.

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Learn more about The Promise to Protect Montana.

Leanna Schwend of Yellowstone Pharmacy of Forsyth shares with Shelby Jo Long of Business Dynamics about the Promise to Protect Montana and the opioid crisis.

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We want to help and push for prevention at the source through the Promise to Protect Montana initiative, and Pledge to prevent misuse by securing opioid drugs in abuse-deterrent packaging.

According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Abuse, more than 70% of people who misuse or abuse prescription medications got them from friends or family, including the medicine cabinet at home.

A Department of Defense study found that locking caps were easy to use and added security. This project will make a positive impact for patients that utilize Yellowstone Pharmacy of Forsyth for their opioid and other prescriptions with potential for substance abuse disorder, as well as those wishing to prevent accidental child poisoning with any medication.

While it's not a one-size-fits-all solution to the opioid crisis, securing opioid prescriptions is a small step that all patients can take to help ensure their medications are not misused and to help turn the tide of America's ongoing opioid epidemic. 

The Rx Locking Cap and Safer Lock Box are tamper-evident, abuse-deterrent solutions that are part of a comprehensive approach to preventing prescription medication misuse in the home, as well as preventing small children from gaining accidental access to prescription drugs.

Safer Lock Can Help Prevent Child Poisoning

Among people 12 and older, 9.3% misused opioids in the past year according to a survey by SAMHSA. And in 2021, opioid overdose deaths hit an all-time high, with one occurring in the United States every five minutes. (Lock, 2022)

Promise to Protect Montana

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Promise To Protect Montana

THE PROBLEM: There was an estimated 100,000 or more drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2021 and 75% of those came from synthetic opioid overdoses. To understand how people get started with their experimentation using opioids, it is recognized that 44.9% of medication misuse and abuse originates from friends or family, often times in the home.

Prevention: Experts in adolescent medicine and substance abuse disorders advise locking up controlled medicines so that nobody else may obtain them. A lock box and a more recent alternative, locking caps, are available (using a combination code lock).

Solution: It's estimated that just 4% of homes currently lock up their controlled prescriptions. The Rx Locking Cap is an abuse-deterrent, tamper-evident solution to prevent misuse of prescription medications in the home, as well as preventing small children from accidental access to prescription drugs.

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