Prescription drugs are meant to help us when we need them. They play a vital role in our health and well-being. But when drugs that are intended to serve as medicine are not used carefully or become the source of abuse and addiction, there can be devastating effects on the health and safety of our families and communities. According to a 2013 Ontario survey, one in eight youth reported using a prescription opioid drug for non-medical purposes, and approximately 70% said they obtained the drug from home.
Today, I urge all Canadians to check their medicine cabinets for unused, expired drugs and drop them off at a designated Drop-Off Day event in your community for proper disposal. Protect your family from prescription drug misuse and abuse.
National Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day, which takes place every year in early May, reminds us all to spring-clean our medicine cabinets. Unused prescriptions can accumulate in our homes, increasing the risk that someone might take expired medication, or the wrong medication, either by accident or on purpose. Events across the country today provide opportunities for Canadians to drop off unused and expired prescription drugs to local police and community partners at specific locations to ensure safe disposal.
Our Government is committed to preventing the abuse of prescription drugs, while ensuring that they remain available for patients who really need them. As announced in Economic Action Plan 2014, our Government has committed over $44.9 million over five years to expand the scope of the National Anti-Drug Strategy to include measures to address prescription drug abuse. We are also working in cooperation with pharmacies across the country to track, report, and monitor the movement of prescription drugs to help ensure they are being prescribed for the right reasons to the right patients.
Let's all do our part to make sure prescription drugs are used appropriately. By working together, we can protect Canadians from the misuse of prescription drugs and tackle head on prescription drug abuse and addiction.
The Honourable Rona Ambrose
Minister of Health
For more information on the safe disposal of prescription drugs, please visit our website.
