(US) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, 4/27/13

[Amy SF]

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/

NATIONAL TAKE-BACK INITIATIVE
Upcoming Take-Back Day — April 27, 2013

(10:00AM - 2:00PM)

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day which will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity for those who missed the previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications.
In the five previous Take-Back events, DEA in conjunction with our state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners have collected more than 2 million pounds (1,018 tons) of prescription medications were removed from circulation.
The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of these medications.

I'm not posting this to be funny or snarky. I thought readers might genuinely be interested in knowing about this in case they or somebody they know has drugs to get rid of. I just called my elderly mother and learned that she does have a bag of prescription drugs, some of them prescribed for my late father, that she wants to get rid of. But we can't throw them out or flush them down the toilet. It's a major safety and health hazard to do that. So this is a good solution, I think. I'll go over and pick up the unwanted drugs and take them to the local drop-off location.

 

[Snowcone]

Nobody's takin' my drugs! They my drugs! Mine!

 

[mlp]

Where I live, precription drugs (other than narcotics, such as morphine) can be taken to the local pharmacies, and they dispose of them appropriately.

 

[Amy SF]

I think we can do that where I live as well. But hey, if the cops want our drugs, I thought I'd mention it.

 

[ledboots]

After my dad passed away under hospice care, the staff left enough morphine in his house, both oral and injectible, to kill a dozen people. Plus a bunch of other meds. When I called to ask them to come get it, they said to dispose of it by emptying the liquid down the drain.

Instead, I took it back to the hospice hq, where they didn't want anything to do with it. I told them I would bring it to the police station then, so they took it back. What the absolute hell, I do not know.

 

[thefadedone]

Where I live, precription drugs (other than narcotics, such as morphine) can be taken to the local pharmacies, and they dispose of them appropriately.

Same here. Walgreens has drug take back days from time to time. It's more convenient for me rather than going to the police station where you have to park blocks away from and then wait to be buzzed in.

I admit that I have thrown out pills in the past, but I've always mixed them with dirty coffee grounds because I read that would make them unappealing to animals (and people of course).

After my dad passed away under hospice care, the staff left enough morphine in his house, both oral and injectible, to kill a dozen people. Plus a bunch of other meds. When I called to ask them to come get it, they said to dispose of it by emptying the liquid down the drain.

Instead, I took it back to the hospice hq, where they didn't want anything to do with it. I told them I would bring it to the police station then, so they took it back. What the absolute hell, I do not know.

Wow! WTF? That's crazy.

 

[mlp]

After my dad passed away under hospice care, the staff left enough morphine in his house, both oral and injectible, to kill a dozen people. Plus a bunch of other meds. When I called to ask them to come get it, they said to dispose of it by emptying the liquid down the drain.

Instead, I took it back to the hospice hq, where they didn't want anything to do with it. I told them I would bring it to the police station then, so they took it back. What the absolute hell, I do not know.

When my mother died, the hospice nurse took the morphine with her immediately.

 

[Calliegirl]

I didn't know you could take them into police stations or pharmacies. I did throw some out when I moved, but mixed them inedible things, including used cat litter.

 

[ledboots]

When my mother died, the hospice nurse took the morphine with her immediately.

That is what is supposed to happen, but our nurse apparently forgot, so when I talked to them, they said they had no way to deal with the meds. I mean, I walked in there with probably 30 multi-use unopened vials of injectable morphine, and muliple boxes of the oral liquid. In addition, there was xanax, codeine cough syrup, etc. I mentally calculated how many milligrams of morphine were there and told them; it was a ton, and pretty nervewracking.

Aside from that reallt scary thing, hospice was really wonderful the whole time.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

I don't think the pharmacies around me will take back meds, as my local city is advertising the drug take back day as some special thing.

Ive got enough meds at my house to kill a couple people. Of course, they're only accepting them at times I can't go.

 

[KLS52]

We have 2-3 Medication Take Back days per year. Pretty cool service. I did not know that some pharmacies or police stations would take drugs back. And until a few years ago it never occurred to me to be concerned about how I disposed of old medicine.

"Researchers have found antihistamines, painkillers, antibiotics, heart medicines, hormones and more in the surface waters, marine waters, and sediments. Medicines in the environment can be very toxic for wildlife."
"Medicines that are flushed or poured down the drain can end up polluting our waters and impacting aquatic species. Wastewater treatment plants and septic systems are not designed to remove most medicines, discharging them into the environment."

http://www.takebackyourmeds.org/earth-day

 

[Pickle Juice]

This is weird. I thought pharmacies were compelled by law to accept drugs, and you didn't need to wait for a special take back day. Fortunately I have never had a prescription for anything, but I found a bottle of something at the dog park one day, and was told to take it back to the pharmacy.

 

[Amy SF]

This is weird. I thought pharmacies were compelled by law to accept drugs, and you didn't need to wait for a special take back day. Fortunately I have never had a prescription for anything, but I found a bottle of something at the dog park one day, and was told to take it back to the pharmacy.

It's probably true that you can take something to any pharmacy at any time and they'll take it, but this is a way to encourage people to go through their cabinets and get rid of unwanted drugs in a safe way.

I posted this thread as a public service, but if anyone has something to dispose of and can't turn it in at a specific drop off point on the 27th, feel free to take it to a pharmacy and see if they'll take it. I betcha they will.

 

[Pickle Juice]

It's probably true that you can take something to any pharmacy at any time and they'll take it, but this is a way to encourage people to go through their cabinets and get rid of unwanted drugs in a safe way.

I posted this thread as a public service, but if anyone has something to dispose of and can't turn it in at a specific drop off point on the 27th, feel free to take it to a pharmacy and see if they'll take it. I betcha they will.

Oh yes it's a good reminder. I was mostly thinking of the posters who have had trouble being refused. That is weird to me.

 

[mlp]

I just did a little reading, and apparently pharmacies are not legally required to take back meds.

However, in the town where I do my grocery shopping, which has two pharmacies (Walgreens and Sartoris), both take meds any time the pharmacy is open. Until K-Mart closed, they also took meds, and the local police department will also take meds.

The Illinois state EPA maintains an online list of all the med drop off sites in the state.