Safe disposal of opioids is a public health issue

It would be impossible not to notice the huge international problem associated with opioid misuse. In a piece recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, commentators highlight that medication diversion is the largest source of misused opioid analgesics, in part because of problems with storage and disposal. Patients education appears to be critical in this regard, and pharmacists and prescribers undoubtedly have a key role to play. The authors also advocate messaging in package inserts and other documentation as a way to promote safe storage and disposal – a challenge yet to be embraced by regulators and professional bodies.