Dispose of Unused Medications Safely on Drug Take Back Day
4/25/2024
Amanda Zehnle, Aspirus Pharmacy Resident
Last October, the
United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) removed nearly 600,000
pounds of unneeded medication from nearly 5,000 Drug Take Back Day collection
sites across the nation. The DEA has removed almost 18 million pounds of unused
prescription medications since the initiative began over a decade ago.
Drug Take Back Day
occurs biannually, with the first one this year falling on Saturday, April 27.
“Drug Take Back Day
is a day for people to get rid of old, unused or unwanted medications safely
and conveniently,” says Amanda Zehnle, Aspirus Pharmacy Resident.
It’s also a time to
raise awareness and educate everybody about the risks of keeping their old
medications. Too often these medications find their way into the wrong hands,
leading to drug addiction, accidental poisoning, overdose or abuse.
It’s important to
dispose of old drugs properly and one way to do that is to drop them off
at a medication drop-box.
How do you get
started?
Simply open your
medicine cabinet, gather the medications you no longer need, remove or cover up
prescription or personal information, and put them in a zip-top bag.
- What’s allowed:
Prescription (controlled and non-controlled) and over-the-counter medications,
ointments, patches, non-aerosol sprays, inhalers, creams, vials, and pet
medications
- What’s not: Illegal
drugs, needles/sharps, aerosol cans, bio-hazardous materials (anything
containing a bodily fluid or blood), mercury thermometers, personal care
products (shampoo, soaps, lotions, sunscreens, etc...), household hazardous
waste (paint, pesticides, oil, gas).
What next?
Find
a medication drop-box near you and dispose of your bag of medications.
Aspirus has drop-boxes located at Aspirus Wausau Hospital and Aspirus Medford
Hospital, but there are others located in our communities and throughout the
United States.
Don’t worry if
you’re unable to make it to a drop-box on April 27. Zehnle says,” You can drop
off medication any time of the year.” This flexibility ensures that individuals
can dispose of medications safely whenever the need arises.
To learn more about
safe medication disposal, visit doseofrealitywi.gov.
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