Using Home Security to Protect Your Prescription Drugs

Prescription Medications and the Risk of Abuse

Prescription medicines require a clinician’s order and can be essential for treating pain, anxiety, sleep disorders, ADHD, and more. They are also a target for diversion in households. National survey data show that about one in 20 people ages 12 and older misused a prescription psychotherapeutic (pain relievers, stimulants, tranquilizers, or sedatives) in the past year, with misuse highest among young adults ages 18 to 25 (about one in seven). See the fastest-growing drug problem discussion, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the 2023 NSDUH for prevalence and trends. Securing medications at home and layering basic home security can reduce opportunities for theft or misuse.

Which medications are the target of theft?

Opioids: Opioids are used to reduce pain but carry dependence and overdose risks. When opioids are indicated, clinicians follow the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. At home, keep opioid pain relievers locked and account for doses; counterfeit pills that look like oxycodone are in circulation (DEA One Pill).
CNS Depressants: Benzodiazepines and prescription sleep medicines treat anxiety and insomnia. Co-use with opioids markedly increases overdose risk; CDC recommends avoiding concurrent prescribing when possible and notes that most U.S. overdose deaths involve synthetic opioids such as illicit fentanyl (CDC provisional overdose data and CDC opioid guideline).
Stimulants: Medications for ADHD (e.g., amphetamine/methylphenidate) increase alertness and focus. Misuse is concentrated among young adults, but school surveys still find nonmedical use among teens. In Monitoring the Future, past‑year nonmedical use among 12th graders remains in the mid single digits for amphetamines/Adderall, lower for younger grades (NIDA/MTF).

Why would someone steal medication?

Approximately 15 million people ages 12+ reported past‑year misuse of a prescription psychotherapeutic, per NSDUH. Motives include self‑medicating pain, anxiety, or sleep problems; staying awake or studying; curiosity; and perceived safety compared with illicit drugs. Today’s risk environment is harsher: the U.S. continues to experience over 100,000 overdose deaths annually—driven largely by illicit fentanyl—with prescription medications still involved in a notable share, often in polysubstance combinations (CDC provisional overdose data). Counterfeit pills made to look like legitimate prescriptions are widespread and may contain fentanyl (DEA One Pill). Given these risks, storing, monitoring, and disposing of medicines safely at home is essential.

Teenagers and prescription drugs

School-based surveys show teen misuse remains comparatively low but not zero. In Monitoring the Future, past‑year nonmedical use among 12th graders is around one percent for prescription opioids and in the mid single digits for Adderall/amphetamines, with tranquilizers/sedatives in the low single digits; rates are lower in 8th and 10th grades (NIDA/MTF). Household surveys confirm the age gradient: adolescents ages 12–17 report about 5–6% past‑year misuse of any prescription psychotherapeutic, compared with roughly 13–15% among young adults 18–25 (NSDUH). NSDUH also shows class patterns across the 12+ population: pain relievers around 3%, tranquilizers ~2%, stimulants ~2%, sedatives ~0.5% (2023 NSDUH). Access matters: NSDUH detailed tables indicate that friends or relatives are the most common source when adolescents misuse pain relievers, underscoring the importance of securing and disposing of leftovers (NSDUH Detailed Tables).

Prevent Your Medication From Being Stolen

Safe storage

Prevention starts with physical security and routine inventory. Keep high‑risk medicines (opioids, stimulants, benzodiazepines) locked and out of sight. Use locking pill containers or purpose‑built lockboxes; choose metal construction that can be bolted down and offers tamper‑evident features. See options for safes, lockboxes, and lock bags, and consult expert buying guidance for anchoring and construction quality (Wirecutter). Consider smart safes or cabinet locks that log openings and send alerts; enable two‑factor authentication and prefer devices that support local control and regular security updates (see the FCC’s U.S. Cyber Trust Mark).

Keep your prescription pills together in a safe and secure place.
Always keep medications in their original bottles.
Take an inventory of how many pills you have and update it as pills are taken.
Never publicize, even verbally, that you have prescriptions.
Invest in locking pill bottles or safe storage for your medications.

Security measures in the home

After you secure storage and start an inventory routine, add selective monitoring. Place security cameras in hallways or common areas facing the storage location (avoid bathrooms for privacy). Favor models with on‑device AI, activity zones, and strong privacy controls (Consumer Reports’ guidance). Alternatively, the old cell phones you have laying around can serve this purpose. For faster, local alerts, use contact or tilt sensors—Matter‑compatible devices can run automations without the cloud (CSA Matter 1.4).

Discrete medicine cabinet alarm systems that alert you each time your medicine cabinet door is opened are also available. The alarm is silent, so instead of alerting the thief, it sends notifications of the event with a timestamp and date of when it happened to the phone numbers and email addresses attached to our account.

Doctors cannot just stop prescribing these medications to patients who truly need them, so handing them responsibly in your home is key.

If you don’t want to spring for a full medical cabinet security system, you can add door sensors to the door of your medicine cabinet. Two sensors form a circuit that triggers an alarm and alerts you if the sensors are separated, but be advised that some sensors do set off an alarm, and are thus a little less discreet. In addition, talk with your prescriber about safe use, storage, and disposal. CDC guidance recommends offering naloxone when overdose risk is elevated, checking PDMP data, and avoiding benzodiazepine–opioid co‑prescribing when possible (CDC opioid guideline; CDC recommendations; CDC naloxone).

Security measures outside the home

Securing your home doesn’t just happen on the inside. Equipping your home with outside hardware can deter thieves from ever entering your home. Video doorbells have motion sensors and powerful cameras that alert you to anyone approaching your home. But your video doorbells can’t see everything. Place additional outdoor security cameras on all entrances of your home for the highest safety measures.

For extra reinforcement, you can DIY some added home security by installing door and window sensors, or you can call in the pros and install a home security with a professional monitoring company that will make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

Disposing of unneeded prescriptions

Year-round takeback centers

One of the most efficient ways to keep your prescriptions out of the hands of someone else is to simply get rid of the ones you don’t need. Your first choice for disposing of any leftover prescription medications should always be turning them into U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) drug take-back locations. Depending on where you live, these locations may be located in hospitals and clinics, retail pharmacies, and law enforcement agencies. Additionally, there may be drop-off boxes and mail-back programs in your community. FDA has step-by-step guidance on disposal options and special items like inhalers and sharps (FDA disposal; DEA disposal rule info at DEA Diversion Control).

Prescription drug takeback day

Twice a year the DEA holds a no-questions-asked drug take-back event with temporary locations across the country. Recent events typically collect on the order of hundreds of thousands of pounds per event, and cumulative returns since 2010 have surpassed 18 million pounds. See current dates and the latest state-by-state results on the DEA’s site at 18th National Take Back Day and the main DEA Take Back Day page for updated totals and announcements. Bringing teens to these events can reinforce safe use and disposal and reduce the availability of leftovers at home.

Safe disposal at home

Hanging on to old pills only makes it harder to keep track and increases the chances of prescription drug abuse among your immediate family. Remember, just because you hide them doesn’t mean teens don’t know about them. Disposing of excess pills in the correct way deters teens and prevents the accidental poisoning of children or pets. When take‑back isn’t available, you can use FDA-recommended at‑home disposal steps, and many pharmacies or state programs also offer deactivation pouches/charcoal bags or kiosks for year‑round returns (FDA).

Flushing medicines

Some medicines, generally the ones that are most harmful to others, instruct you to immediately flush any excess down the toilet or sink. Opioids in both pill and patch form most commonly have these types of directions. Patches must be folded in half with the sticky sides touching before flushing. Some cities might have environmental ordinances against flushing medication, so if you are unsure if your medications are okay to be flushed, consult the label and any patient information given to you by your pharmacist, as well as your local government’s website. If all else fails, you can always check the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website to find their complete list of how to dispose of each type of medication.

Mixing them with household trash

For those medications that cannot be flushed, the U.S Food and Drug Administration instructs you to dispose of extra pills in the trash. But don’t just toss the bottle out, instead, follow these steps:

Take excess pills and mix them with an undesirable substance, like coffee grounds, cat litter, or dirt. This decreases the chances of children, teens, and thieves removing them from the trash. It’s important that you do not crush the pills or capsules (FDA).
Once you have your undesirable mixture, place it in a container you can close like a sandwich bag or empty can. This prevents the pills from leaking or separating from the mixture.
Now throw the contained mixture in your trash.
Always make sure to scratch off any personal information off the bottle and packing label before throwing them away. This step protects your privacy and should be done regardless of how you dispose of your medication.

How Can You Address Prescription Theft in Your Teen?

Establish an open dialogue

Many teens underestimate the risks of prescription drugs, especially when pills appear “pharmacy‑made” but are counterfeit. Explain that any pill not dispensed to them by a pharmacy could contain fentanyl (DEA One Pill). Pair open conversations with basic screening during routine care (S2BI, BSTAD, CRAFFT) and brief counseling/referral if needed (NIDAMED adolescent screening; SAMHSA SBIRT).

It sounds easy, but ask any parent: having these types of conversations with your teens is not simple. While it might be uncomfortable and may even cause conflict, it’s essential you have them. Here are a few things to keep in mind to make the conversation as productive as possible:

Make sure the environment you speak to them feels safe and open.
Try not to be judgmental or critical of them.
Be supportive and express how proud you are that they are willing to talk to you about difficult topics.
Listen to your teen and allow them to ask questions. While you may want to interrupt and fix the situation, it’s important they are able to say what they feel.
If you find that your teen won’t talk to you, seek help from another adult (relative, teacher, trained caring specialist, or counselor).

Signs to look out for

If you think your teen may be stealing or using prescription drugs, refer back to your home security system to review any footage you may have. Additionally, recount your pills to see if any are missing. Most importantly, pay close attention to any changes in your teen’s behavior. Warning signs include declining grades, sudden changes in friends, secrecy, or sleep/appetite shifts, and drug‑specific red flags: drowsiness and pinpoint pupils (opioids), restlessness and insomnia (stimulants), or slurred speech and poor coordination (benzodiazepines). Be alert to online sourcing (new social media “contacts,” packages, or look‑alike pills), which can indicate counterfeit pills (DEA One Pill; NIDA opioids; NIDA stimulants; NIDA CNS depressants).

Major changes in their behavior or appearance.
Trouble at school or a drop in their academic performance
Quick to conflict or lashing out (disregarding rules, trouble at school, ignoring curfew).
Isolations from family and friends. May also look like an abrupt change in social groups and friends.
Avoiding eye contact and an increased demand for privacy.

My child is stealing prescription drugs: now what?

You’ve found that your child has been stealing your prescription pills. No matter how you found out, you have to address it. There are various at-home drug test options that are available to you to test if one or more illicit or prescription drugs are present. Once you’ve spoken to your teen and confirmed they are using drugs, it’s important to find out how long, how often, and why.

Finding an alternative outlet for teens who have experimented with prescription pills is a great way to focus their energy and give them goals to work towards. Always maintain a seamless system of counting your pills, securing them in lockboxes, and monitoring security cameras. Keeping your home security system up and running is all the more important when you have a teen in your home. Work with your clinician on risk reduction (e.g., consider naloxone if opioids are present, coordinate care if benzodiazepines/opioids are co‑used) and evidence‑based treatment referrals when indicated (CDC naloxone).

If you suspect your teen is experimenting with prescription medication, please visit any of these sites for help: