The most appropriate time to plan for safe use and
disposal of opioids is before you start these medications. Remember, practicing
caution can mean the difference between life and death for you and your loved
ones. Opioid painkillers are extremely addictive. You’d be surprised to know that
after just five days of prescription opioid use, your likelihood to develop
long-term dependence on these drugs rises steeply — increasing your risk of
eventual addiction and overdose. It is an individual’s medical history, family history and personal history of substance use
that help determine whether opioids are safe for you to try since opioids aren't
safe to even consider for some people.
Take opioid
medication in New York City exactly as prescribed by your doctor. The Centres
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers guidance to physicians for safe
prescribing of opioid medications.
You can expect for your doctor or healthcare provider
to prescribe the lowest effective dose, for the shortest period needed, when
treating acute pain; avoid or delay prescribing opioids for chronic pain; work
with you to establish realistic treatment goals; may ask you to sign an opioid
therapy agreement before you start a long-term course of opioid medications;
schedule regular checkups while you’re taking opioids and help you minimize
withdrawal when you stop opioids.
Tips to safely manage your medications:
1. Let all your healthcare providers know about all of
the drugs you’re taking since opioids interact dangerously with many
medications.
2. Whenever possible, order all your medications
through the same pharmacy as pharmacies have systems in place that alert
pharmacists to potentially dangerous interactions between the drugs you're
taking.
3. It’s extremely important that you read the
instructions and warnings on the drug safety information sheet stapled to your
prescription as these notify you about potential side effects and help you
understand how to check your response to the medication.
4. If you experience any side effects, report it to
your doctor right away.
5. Make sure to check the date of expiration on your
pill bottle as medication loses its effectiveness after a certain amount of
time alongside its effects becoming unpredictable.
Harlem East Life Plan provides quality
general medicine and infectious disease care. H.E.L.P. is a multi-faceted
outpatient facility offering co-located services of addiction medicine, general
medicine and Mental Health.
Contact Us:
Harlem East Life Plan
Full Address:
2367-69 Second Avenue New York,
NY 10035
Telephone: 212-876-2300
