How to Stay Safe

Only take prescription medication that is prescribed to you. Don't share with others.

Take your medication exactly as your doctor prescribes. Don’t use in greater amounts, more often or longer than directed. 

Keep medications in a safe place. Store prescription opioids out of reach of children and in a safe place, preferably locked, to reduce the chance that others will misuse them. 

Only take prescription medication obtained directly from a pharmacy. Counterfeit pills containing fentanyl are increasingly common. They often look like the real thing. Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin. You can’t see, taste or smell it. But just one pill can cause a fatal overdose.

Avoid taking prescription opioids with alcohol or other drugs. This increases your risk of overdose. 

Safely dispose of expired or unused pills. Check with your pharmacist to see if you can return them to the pharmacy or find a take-back option near you at dea.gov/takebackday.

Keep naloxone on-hand and learn how to use it. Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone will not harm someone who is not overdosing on an opioid.