Two Children's Mercy locations to serve as collection sites for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
For the second straight year, Children’s Mercy will participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, serving as a drop off/collection site for expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.
Law enforcement officials will collect medications individuals/families no longer need from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 29, near the entrances of both Children's Mercy Adele Hall Campus and Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas. Anyone can simply drive up, drop off the drugs and go. The service is free and anonymous, and no questions are asked. Pills, patches and liquids will be accepted, but not aerosols, needles/syringes or sharps.
Check out other KC-area drop-off locations here.
“In Pharmacy, we get a lot of questions from people asking if they can bring in their old medications to us, but we don’t accept them,” said Krista Wright, PharmD, Pharmacy Manager. “Take Back Day is an anonymous, safe way to get rid of unwanted drugs.”
The effort, sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), provides a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about preventing pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.
“Unfortunately, we see many teens admitted to our hospital each year due to ingestions of medications, most often from medication found at home,” said Shayla Sullivant, MD, DFAACAP, Developmental and Behavioral Sciences. “This is a great opportunity to remind parents of the impulsivity that comes with the teen years, and the value of decreasing access to medications to increase safety for the young people in our community.”
In the media
Last October, Americans dropped off 366 tons (over 730,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,200 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, DEA and its partners have taken in over 7.1 million pounds — more than 3,500 tons — of pills at Take Back events over the last 12 years.
“This is definitely for anybody, not just our patients and families, but also our staff, their neighbors and friends,” Krista said.
The initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — both pose potential safety and health hazards.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about Saturday's event, visit the DEA Diversion website.