Chehalis Pharmacy and Centralia Pharmacy are among 82 pharmacies statewide participating in Washington’s Pharmacy Safe Storage Program, part of the Washington State Health Care Authority’s Starts With One opioid misuse prevention campaign. The participating pharmacies are providing free locking bags to encourage patients to secure opioid prescriptions and help prevent misuse and accidental overdose. About four in 10 people who misuse pain relievers, including prescription opioids, get them from a friend or family member. Using a locking bag to store prescriptions can help prevent theft of medications in a patient’s home or while traveling, and safe storage also protects young children from accidental ingestion and poisoning.
Safe Storage Gap
Locking up medications is a simple way to help prevent opioid misuse and overdose, yet a 2025 HCA study found that only 47 percent of Washingtonians surveyed report locking up their prescription opioids. The Pharmacy Safe Storage Program aims to close that gap. As pharmacist and owner of both pharmacies stated, they aim to “build lifelong relationships with the people we serve and that includes helping keep their homes and families safe.” Being part of this program allows them to “take that commitment one step further by providing tools that make safe medication use simple and accessible.”
Commitment-Based Approach
Along with providing a locking bag, pharmacists talk with patients about the importance of safe storage and ask them to personally commit to locking up their opioid prescription. This approach is based on behavior change research showing that people who make a commitment to take a specific action are significantly more likely to follow through. According to the director of HCA’s Behavioral Health and Recovery, “Preventing opioid misuse starts with reducing access to unused or unsecured medications. Pharmacists are highly trusted, accessible health care providers, and this program helps turn everyday interactions into meaningful moments of prevention.”
Program Results
The annual Pharmacy Safe Storage Program launched in March and will run through June, while supplies last. In the first month of this year’s program, participating pharmacies distributed a combined 703 locking bags, held 754 conversations about opioid safe storage, and secured 427 commitments from patients to lock up medications. To learn more about the Starts With One campaign, information is available at GetTheFactsRX.com.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: http://www.chronline.com/stories/centralia-chehalis-pharmacy-partners-with-washington-health-care-authority-to-prevent-opioid,402066