HERSHEY, Pa. — Cleaning out your medicine cabinet is about more than having a tidy bathroom. In an age of opioid addiction, it can also prevent leftover medications from getting into the wrong hands.

Dr. Alexis Reedy-Cooper, a staff physician in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, said opioid addiction continues to increase, and Pennsylvania is no exception. In fact, it is one of the top five states affected by the issue.

Doctors typically prescribe opioids to patients who break a bone or who are recovering from surgery. The dosage is a delicate balance between keeping the patient comfortable and preventing addiction.

“We try to give patients just enough so that there won’t be a lot of leftovers, but we can’t always guess how much someone is going to need,” Reedy-Cooper said. “We want patients to use the lowest dose necessary and use it for the least amount of time.”

Leftover pills can fall into the wrong hands. Patients can also become dependent on the euphoric state that these medications can produce. It is difficult for a person to wean themselves off of these types of medications when they have been on them for an extended period of time.

People wishing to discard their medications can take unused medications to their local police department for proper disposal.

The Medical Minute is a weekly health news feature produced by Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Articles feature the expertise of faculty physicians and staff and are designed to offer timely, relevant health information of interest to a broad audience.