Older Adults Not Counseled on Handling Leftover Opioids

The National Poll on Healthy Aging found only a small portion of older U.S. adults have talked with their healthcare providers about what to do with leftover prescription opioids, reports MedPage Today . Among 589 adults, ages 50 to 80, who had filled a pain medication prescription in the past two years, 90 percent reported discussing with their provider how often to take the medication, according to the Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network's Jennifer Waljee. However, just 37 percent said they talked about what to do with leftover pills. In addition, 50 percent of respondents with opioid prescriptions reported having pills leftover, and 86 percent noted they kept them for later potential use. Only 13 percent returned the additional pills to an approved location. The implication is that millions of older adults have opioids lingering in their homes, which is the most common source for misuse and may place loved ones at risk. Furthermore, 60 percent of the respondents reported discussing side effects with their healthcare provider, while 48 percent said the risk of addiction was covered, and 43 percent said the risk of overdose was addressed. Nearly all older adults sampled said they backed policies to improve opioid regulation, such as mandated review of prescription records and disclosure of prior opioid medication use. Seventy-four percent supported restrictions on the number of pills providers could prescribe at once, but only 47 percent said they would consent to regulations requiring unused medications to be returned.