Your prescriptions can be a lifeline for you. They may be something that keeps you healthy, or keeps you alive. Your prescriptions are also another thing, and that is expensive.
You may ask why should you keep your prescription medication under lock and key. Losing your prescriptions can be a terrible pain because now you need to convince your doctor or pharmacist to fill another prescription. You are also paying out more money, earlier than you expected, for something that you need to stay healthy.
Things Get Complicated When Your Prescriptions are Stolen
Prescription drug thefts can happen anywhere, but they are especially common in long-term care homes. Between 2016 and 2018, the number of incidents of thefts in nursing homes increased by over ten times. Thefts in long-term care homes have also risen every single year, except in 2020 when it was harder to get into long-term care homes, and therefore, harder to steal prescription drugs. The sad reality is that the people who steal the drugs in those places are not criminals who sneak in, but the people who work there and take care of the residents.
People who are dealing with prescription drug addiction do not care about jail time or the consequences of their actions either. Stealing drugs can land someone up to 10 years in prison, and $150,000 in fines.
What types of prescription drugs are most commonly stolen? The most common is without a doubt, opioids, and pain relievers. Coming in second are depressants, followed by stimulant drugs.
If you have any of those types of prescription drugs in your home, then you need to protect what you have. If your prescription drugs are stolen, you need to convince your doctor or prescription to give you a refill earlier than usual, and that is not always easy. You also need to file a police report, and hope that your pharmacist believes you when you say your drugs were stolen.
How to Protect Your Prescription Medication
There are many ways to protect yourself and your medication.
Be Discreet When Taking or Talking About Medication
You can ensure that you are discreet with the prescription medications you are getting so less people know what you have. Make sure you keep a log of your pills and count them regularly, so you know if any are missing. Even for people you have known for years, or family members, if they pick up your medication for you, count the pills when you receive them to ensure none are missing. Even pharmacy employees can steal your prescription drugs, so do a count before you leave the pharmacy.
Lock Them Up
Another excellent option is to keep your prescription drugs under lock and key. A prescription medication bag can be the one line of defense you have between having what you need when you need it and losing what you have to someone who thinks it is okay to steal.
Use a Prescription Medication Bag with Lock When Travelling
Even better is if you have a prescription medication bag with lock, which will allow you to make it even more difficult for someone to take what you have. Thieves want something that is easy to obtain. If you have a lockable medication bag, that extra little bit of effort is enough to deter them from taking what you have. That keeps your prescriptions safe, keeps your costs down and gives you peace of mind knowing your prescription drugs will not wind up in the hands of someone else.
Bags are great, but lock boxes are even better, and a medication lock box works the same way as lock boxes for guns or money. You cannot open it without a key, and again it deters thieves who want to get something quick and easy. Medication lock boxes are designed to make it difficult for thieves to get what they are after. The cost of prescription medication bags and medication lock boxes is well worth it considering how much prescription drugs cost these days.
If you have a prescription medication bag, or medication lock box, do not leave it out in the open either. Keep it hidden in a drawer or cabinet and do not tell anyone where you keep it unless you completely trust them not to take your money.
All these steps can ensure that you will not be dealing with lost medication. Anyone can steal from you, and the more you make it difficult, the less likely they are going to steal what you need.
Do not leave things to chance, protect your prescription drugs from thieves today.
