A prescription medication is a pharmaceutical drug that legally requires a medical prescription to be dispensed.
The prescription drug medications that are most commonly abused include:
- Pain relievers
- Tranquilizers and sedatives
- Stimulants
Prescription drugs can be stolen and sold – the youth population is an especially high-risk group who can obtain medications for recreational use from your medicine cabinet. The 2017 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey reported 10.6% of grade 7-12 students used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons. The #1 place they reported getting these prescription drugs was from the home.
- Take medications only as prescribed
- Do not share medications with others or use someone else’s medicine
- Keep medication in a safe and secure location
- Keep track of the quantity of medication in your home
- Dispose of expired or unfinished prescriptions at your local pharmacy
- Prescription drugs - Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Prescription drugs - Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
- First, do no harm: Responding to Canada’s prescription drug crisis - Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
