U-M School of Nursing study aims to reduce risk of prescription opioid misuse

Leftover prescription opioids pose risks to kids, yet most parents keep unused painkillers even after they’re no longer medically necessary. A new study led by U-M School of Nursing Associate Professor Terri Voepel-Lewis found that giving parents educational materials on how to properly and conveniently dispose of medications can significantly reduce the risk of children accessing leftover opioids.

Terri Voepel-Lewis and colleagues found that prompt disposal of leftover medications improved if parents received a disposal packet at the time the medications were prescribed. Further, parents who saw tailored online messages about the risks opioids pose to children and teens were less likely to report that they intended to keep leftover medications.  

The work is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Other co-authors include Carol Boyd, professor emerita of nursing and co-director of the Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Health; and Brian Zikmund-Fisher, associate professor of public health and research associate professor in internal medicine. 

Read more from Michigan News: https://news.umich.edu/parents-turkey-makes-great-leftovers-opioids-do-not/.