Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Did you know that here in the United States there are biannual days when you can pass in your leftover prescription drugs?  

It happens in April and in October so time to save any drugs that you don’t use up so that you can safely dispose of them.  You may also find other times when this is available.

The United States, Australia and New Zealand are the only countries that coordinate this.  Most countries throw them in the trash.  The problem with this is that it causes pollution, harms the environment and causes accidental deaths.

There are some medicines that need special attention to help stem the opioid crisis in this country.

According to the CDC there are approximately 6 times more people that died from a drug overdose from 1999 to 2022.  Almost 76% of those deaths involved an opioid.

There has been much discussion around the opioid crisis so you may know someone who has been affected.  It’s a very sad situation so this program works to help.

Many groups are collaborating to improve the situation.  This includes medical personnel, substance abuse counselors, first responders and public health people. 

If you have leftover prescription drugs and you want to check where to turn them in you can check the link below provided by the FDA.  

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know/drug-disposal-drug-take-back-locations

Private Home Health Care understands how many prescription drugs are in our communities and we look to a better future with the opioid crisis.