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CDC - Preventing Opioid Misuse

What you can do to prevent opioid misuse

If you are prescribed opioids for your pain, there are a number of ways to reduce the risks of prescription opioid misuse and help ensure you are getting the safest, most effective pain management possible.

Work with your doctor

  • Work with your doctor to create a plan on how to manage your pain.
    • Know your options and consider ways to manage your pain that do not include opioids.
    • Talk to your doctor about any and all side effects and concerns.
    • Discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of changing opioid dosage.
    • Make the most informed decision with your doctor.
  • Follow up regularly with your doctor.
    • Be sure to be involved in the decision-making process about whether to continue opioid therapy.
    • Always let your doctor know about any side effects that you experience or concerns you may have about using opioids.

Take and store opioids properly

  • Never take prescription opioids in greater amounts or more often than prescribed.
  • Avoid taking opioids with alcohol and other substances or medications. It is very dangerous to combine opioids with other drugs, especially those that cause drowsiness:
    • Benzodiazepines (such as Xanax® and Valium®)
    • Muscle relaxants (such as Soma® or Flexeril®)
    • Hypnotics (such as Ambien® or Lunesta®)
    • Other prescription opioids
  • Do not share or sell your prescription opioids.
  • Store prescription opioids in a secure place, out of reach of others (including children, family, friends, and visitors).
  • If you have unused prescription opioids at the end of your treatment dispose of them. Find your community drug take-back program or your pharmacy mail-back program, or flush them down the toilet, following guidance from the Food and Drug Administration.
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