National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is a paid advertiser of Sonoran Living Live

A few times every year the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hosts a National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The most recent was held this past April, after which the DEA reported receiving more than 550,000 pounds of unwanted prescription drugs at drop-off sites across the country. The initiative has been so well-received by the community that the event is going to be reprised this Saturday, Sept. 29.
Chris Hogan, vice president of pharmacy management at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, is here to tell us more about Drug Take Back Day and why Arizonans should participate.
Leftover prescription drugs can prove to be harmful in a variety of ways. In addition to being a threat to water resources when disposed of improperly, these unneeded drugs can be abused. The Partnership for a Drug Free America estimates that every day, about 2,500 teens get high for the first time using prescription drugs.
Additionally, a recent survey showed that more than half of those who abuse prescription drugs first obtained the drugs from a friend or relative. Proper disposal of your leftover drugs will help alleviate abuse by ensuring the drugs aren't used improperly by anyone in your home, or found by someone seeking them.
There are a few ways to properly dispose of unwanted prescription drugs. The easiest is to participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Drug Take Back Day is happening all over the country this Saturday, Sept. 29. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., authorized locations all over Arizona will be accepting old and unused prescription and non-prescription drugs to be destroyed safely. You don't need to do anything except for show up with the medicine you want to dispose of. There are dozens of locations across the state, so it's easy to go online to dea.gov and find something convenient to you.
If you can't make it out this weekend, however, there are other options. One is to put the pills in a bag of something unsavory, such as used kitty litter or used coffee grounds, and throw them in the regular trash. This will prevent drug-seekers from finding and abusing the medication. Most drugs should never be put down the sink or flushed down the toilet. That creates a hazard in our water resources.
Another option is available at many pharmacies that have proper disposal programs, usually a container that can be purchased and mailed to a proper disposal location.  Check with your pharmacy if you are interested in this option.
We would like to collect more than ever at this September event, so clean out those cabinets and rid your house of the unwanted, expired or unused medications.

Source: 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k10NSDUH/2k10Results.htm
*This is not a medical recommendation, anyone with concerns or questions about their health should contact their physician. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.


Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is a paid advertiser of Sonoran Living Live