Prescription drug misuse and addiction is a growing epidemic in the U.S., particularly in Tennessee. In 2014, Tennessee ranked fourth in the nation for overdose deaths, according to the CDC.

Are your prescription drugs secure? Here are a few questions to answer:

• Do you have prescription pain medications in your home?
• Do you have children/teenagers living or visiting your home?
• Do you have visitors in your home?
• Have you ever had someone take your medication without your permission?
• Have you ever shared your medication with a family member or a friend?

If you answered yes to any of these questions and you don’t count your prescription medications, then your medications are not secure.

You can help prevent medicine misuse by taking a few steps to safeguard your medications.

• Count your pills every two weeks.
• Record how many you have left in the bottle.

This will help prevent theft and ensure you are taking the prescribed amount. If you notice missing pills, then talk to members of your household to see if they took your medication. If you think a member of your family is misusing your prescription, there are many resources available to assist you in talking to them about getting help.

Don’t become an accidental drug dealer. Developing the simple habit of counting your pills regularly may help reduce the growing problem of prescription medicine misuse in Tennessee.