National Drug Take-Back Day – How You Can Help
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This Saturday, October 27, 2018, is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day! Our local city hosts a large event where they encourage residents to bring all their unused and expired prescription drugs to be properly disposed of. It is so important to dispose of your old medications correctly. More often than not, patients dispose of their unused medications by flushing down the toilet, pouring in the drain, or just throwing in the garbage. This results in damage to our environment or the drugs landing in the wrong hands and being abused by others.
In an effort to assist in reducing these issues and bringing awareness to the massive opioid crisis that is plaguing many families, LifeInCheck created a Drug Disposal program that provides consumers with a safe option to discard their unused or outdated prescription medications in secure receptacles located across the US.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, approximately fifty-four million Americans over the age of 12 have used prescription medications for non-medical reasons at least once in their lifetime. That is alarming. As a parent of a child with special needs, I have had to administer many medications over the years. Some that even fell under the category of controlled substance. I would hate to think I could have added to this epidemic by improperly disposing of old medications.
Throughout the years we had changed medications half-way through a prescription, leaving unused pills in bottles sitting in our cabinet. Finding the best place to dispose of them was not always easy. Now, thanks to LifeInCheck, you can search for a LifeInCheck Drug Disposal receptacle near your home.
You can visit the LifeInCheck Drug Disposal Program website and enter your city and state or zip code, along with the search radius to find a safe drug disposal location in your area.
I was able to find a pharmacy in Fort Worth that I could visit.
Drugs Accepted at Receptacles:
- Unused or expired prescription medication (Including Schedule II-V controlled substances)
- Unused or expired over-the-counter medication
- Pet Medication
Drugs NOT Accepted at Receptacles:
- Schedule I controlled substances
- Illegal drugs
- Thermometers
- Inhalers
- Lotions/Liquids
- Aerosol Cans
- Needles
- Hydrogen Peroxide
Using the LifeInCheck Drug Disposal Receptacle is easy.
You pull down the top of the receptacle and drop your medications inside. Then you close it back and they empty into the secure container. It is very similar to dropping mail in an outdoor mail carrier box. You can even place your pet’s unused medication inside. Which surprisingly, we had in our home.
These stats are very unsettling. As a police officer, my husband sees the hard reality first-hand. So many people die from drug overdoses or abusing prescription medications that did not belong to them. Even over-the-counter medications are used in ways they are not intended for.
Remember to check your medicine cabinet at least once a year for expired and unused medications. From prescriptions to over-the-counter medications, dispose of them correctly to help protect families and your community. Use National Drug Take-Back Day as your annual reminder to safeguard your medicine cabinet.