Prescription opioid misuse and the need to promote medication safety among adolescents.

Misuse of prescription opioids and associated negative health outcomes is a leading public health crisis among adolescents in the US. Opioid prescription rates, misuse, and overdose deaths have increased among adolescents in the last twenty years. This commentary highlights trends in prescribing opioids and medication misuse among adolescents in the US and sheds light on reasons and motives for misuse of prescription opioids among adolescents. It discusses recent educational initiatives which promote medication safety, describes current practices, and recommends effective strategies to enhance prescription opioid safety among adolescents. Opportunities to enhance opioid medication safety among adolescents are frequently overlooked. A critical strategy to combat opioid misuse and overdose deaths among adolescents involves increasing awareness and knowledge about safe medication use.