National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, Sept. 29

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, Sept. 29, continued

Medicine take-back programs for disposal are a good way to remove expired, unwanted, or unused medicines from the home to reduce the chance that others may accidentally take the medicine. Discarding unused medications down the toilet or sink is a common but poor disposal method. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove or process many compounds found in medications. When flushed or poured down drains, medications can end up in water systems—streams, rivers, lakes, and drinking water reservoirs.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, September 29, 2012, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. This is an opportunity for those who missed the previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications. So far, more than 35 collection sites will be set up to serve the Kansas City region. To search for a collection site near you, visit: http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/

If you cannot make it to a site on September 29 there are other options for the safe disposal of prescription drugs. A mail-back program using postage-paid envelopes that can be purchased from your local pharmacy is now in place. Controlled substances however are excluded from this program. Here is a link to find a pharmacy that sells the mail-back kit for unused medication disposal: http://www.sharpsinc.com/locations/

There are also safe, locked drop boxes at local police stations. Missouri has a list of drop box locations at this site: http://www.myaa.org/dropbox.asp.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Regional Prevention Center, now offers a permanent Prescription Drug Take-Back Drop Box at the courthouse in Olathe. The county sheriff’s website has more information. http://www.jocosheriff.org/index.aspx?page=246

Visit RecycleSpot.org for full information on disposal of prescription drugs»

600 Broadway, Suite 200
Kansas City, MO 64105-1659
816/474-4240
Fax: 816/421-7758

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