To gain a better understanding of Americans’ perceptions of prescription drug abuse, CVS Health conducted a public opinion poll in March 2017 of 2,000 American voters. Below are a few of the key insights the poll revealed about prescription drug abuse in the United States.
The majority of Americans have prescription medications in their homes, and many people are housing more than one prescription at a time.
The poll revealed that about two-thirds of respondents take prescription medications, and nearly half of respondents take between three and six prescription medications.
Most respondents believe the opioid abuse problem is partially rooted in the availability of unsecured prescription drugs belonging to others.
Some 75 percent of respondents believe that prescription drug abuse is tied to people who take medications prescribed to someone else, such as a friend or family member, and one in five said they or someone they know has had prescription medication stolen from their homes.
Americans are concerned about the environmental hazards of improper medication disposal, but they are generally not disposing of unwanted medications properly.
Nearly 75 percent of respondents said they were concerned about the potential impact on drinking water of throwing medications in the trash; but the most common method of disposal, according to the survey, is throwing medications in the trash.
Fortunately, Count It! Lock It! Drop It!TM and the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation are working to make it easier and more convenient to safely dispose of prescription medications. To prevent prescription drug misuse in your home, be sure to:
- Regularly count your pills.
- Lock your pills away in a lock box.
- Use our drop box finder to safely and securely dispose of your unused or expired pills at a location near you.
Follow this link to read more insights from the CVS Health poll.
