Disposing of Your Medicine
Discarding medicine safely can prevent medicine misuse.
An opioid is a type of medicine or substance which reduces pain. Some opioids are legal and come in the form of prescription medications. Other opioids are illegal and include substances like heroin.
Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco) |
Fentanyl (Duragesic) |
Oxycodone (Percocet, OxyContin) |
Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) |
Morphine (MS Contin) |
Meperidine (Demerol) |
Codeine (Tylenol #3, Tylenol #4) |
Methadone |
Buprenorphine (Suboxone, Subutex, Zubsolv) |
Oxymorphone |
Our bodies have different types of receptors located in the brain and other organs. Opioid substances attach to these receptors and block pain signals sent to the brain.
Even when they are taken as prescribed, opioid medicines have side effects. Some side effects include:
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to learn more about opioid side effects.
Here are some tips on using prescription medicines, including opioids:
It is important to properly discard of any un-used opioid medicine. Check with your city, county or local health system to get information and resources about medicine disposal and community take back programs.
You can find more information about opioids on the Centers for Disease Control website: Centers for Disease Control Opioid Factsheet
Contact us to schedule an appointment, call (800) 436-7936.
Please call 911 if you have an emergency or urgent medical question.
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