Patterns of storage, use, and disposal of prescription opioids by parents of children with cancer.

Abstract

114 Background: Multiple studies have demonstrated that adults do not store prescription opioids safely. Increased prescription opioid rates have led to an increased incidence of opioid poisonings in children and adolescents. We investigated whether parents of children with cancer that were prescribed opioids practiced safe storage, use, and disposal techniques. Methods: We conducted a prospective cross-sectional survey of parents whose children were prescribed opioids and asked them about their patterns of storage, use, and disposal of prescription opioids. Results: Virtually all parents (106/109, 97%) completed the survey. Most parents (95/106, 90%) did not store opioids safely. Six of 106 parents (6%) gave their child's opioid pain medication to someone else with pain, and 3 of 106 parents (3%) personally took some of their child’s opioid. Parents who personally took their child’s opioid ( P = .01) or gave it to another person ( P < .001) were more likely to use opioids unsafely with their child. A minority of parents (22/106, 21%) did not use opioids safely in their child. A small number of parents (3/22, 14%) did not dispose of opioids safely. Conclusions: Universal education about the safe, use, and disposal of opioids should be adopted when prescribing opioids. Pediatricians need to maintain vigilance about the nonmedical use of prescription opioid use by parents of children.