Sacramento, California—January 10, 2017—The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) For Fiscal Year 2017 takes steps to bolster the defense of the homeland, including an amendment requiring the U.S. Department of Defense to study the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of using upgraded prescription bottle lock mechanisms when dispensing opioid medications. The National Defense Authorization Act for 2017 was signed into law by President Obama on December 23, 2016.
Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (Virginia-10), sponsor of the bill, says, “The long and dark road of addiction often starts with an adolescent taking one or two pills from someone close to them. The intent of this amendment is to decrease access for those not prescribed these medications.”
Safer Lock’s Nathan Langley supports the government studying tools like locking prescription bottles to help combat the problem of prescription drug abuse. Says Langley, “With 90% of addiction starting in the teenage years and 70% of abused medications originating in the home, it is great to see the federal government recognizing the problem and taking action.”
Safer Lock, a product of Sacramento-based Gatekeeper Innovation, is a four-digit (10,000 possibilities) combination locking cap developed to help prevent unauthorized access to prescription medication. Set the combination to your (the patient’s) personal preference. Without knowing the combination, no one can open the prescription inside without damaging the bottle itself. The locking cap comes with its own bottle; it also fits a wide variety of prescription bottles.
Safer Lock also helps ensure that young children aren’t accidentally poisoned by powerful medications. Unlike childproof caps, a combination cap cannot be twisted off by a determined toddler. At the same time, Safer Lock has been tested and certified to be easier for seniors to twist open than a childproof cap.
