The American Dental Association (ADA) announced its support Tuesday for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) fifth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, scheduled for September 29, 2012. The ADA urges dentists to inform their patients on the safe disposal of unused, unwanted or expired prescription medications.
“Medicine abuse has become a real problem in our communities,” Dr. William R. Calnon, ADA president, stated in a recent ADA press release. “As prescribers of narcotic pain medications, dentists are well positioned to educate patients about how to keep these drugs from becoming a source of harm.”
On the last Take-Back day, which was April 28, 2012, Americans brought 276 tons of prescription medication for safe disposal to more than 5,600 locations, a record according to the DEA. The combined results of all four Take-Back days total over 774 tons of prescriptions drugs removed from circulation. To locate a prescription collection site near you, visit the DEA Take-Back Initiative page.
According to a survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, prescription drug abuse dropped in 2011for the first time since 2002. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health collected data from interviews with 67,500 people age 12 and older. The survey showed that 6.1 million people abused narcotic pain pills, tranquilizers, stimulants and sedatives in 2011, a decrease from 7 million in 2010. The drop in abuse it attributed to the success of public health and law enforcement efforts to curb abuse of prescription drugs.
DOCS Education is currently offering a free online CE course to help dentists identify and treat patients suffering from addiction, hosted by faculty member Dr. John Hexem. To access the course, titled “Assessing Substance Abuse,” click here. The ADA is also offering free CE courses to educate dentists on prescribing opioid medications. Visit ada.org for more information.
