Keeping Patients Safe: Educating About Safe Disposal of Opioids to Prevent Diversion

Despite the dangers of opioid abuse and diversion, clinicians often overprescribe opioids, leading to a surplus of unused and unguarded medications. Without proper disposal, this can lead to medications being stolen by a patient's friend or relative, or to patients giving these medications away or even selling them. Pharmacists can play an important role in educating patients on the appropriate storage and disposal of opioids. It is essential to mitigating misuse and diversion of unused opioids.

The final installment in this CME Outfitters BriefCase series highlights a patient case study that focuses on keeping patients safe by educating them on the proper storage and disposal of opioids.

At the end of this CE activity, participants should be able to:
-Educate patients about safe storage and disposal of unused opioids to prevent misuse and diversion.