Count It! Lock It! Drop It!™ (CLD) is a community initiative supported by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation. CLD empowers and educates communities about prevention practices by properly counting, locking or disposing of prescription medications. According to the Count it! Lock it! Drop it! website, 64 percent of Tennesseans know someone who has become addicted to prescription pain medication. Many people believe that this epidemic does not affect them or that it happens to “other people,” assuming an event will never happen to them or anyone they know; however, data shows the main source of prescription pain pills are friends and relatives. Protect your loved ones by purchasing lock boxes to securely store medications. If not used properly, prescription drugs can be as harmful and dangerous as illicit drugs. If prescriptions not properly stored (and locked), anyone can access them. Children can mistake pills for candy or teens wanting to ‘experiment’ could easily obtain them for use. This also creates the opportunity for your household to be targeted by anyone who has knowledge that the prescription is in your house.

How can I do that?

Go to the Count it! Lock it! Drop it! website and…

1. Lock up your prescriptions and store them where others would not think to look
2. Count your pills every two weeks. Download this form to help you keep track of your medications.
3. Check with your local coalition to see if a lock box is available to you for no charge. You can also purchase lock boxes at local grocery stores and pharmacies.
4. Drop off any unused or expired medications in designated drop boxes located in participating law enforcement offices or pharmacies. Find a drop box near you.