To prevent unused prescription drugs from finding their way into the wrong hands, each year the federal Drug Enforcement Administration sponsors the national Prescription Drug Take Back Day in which anyone can anonymously dispose of unused, unwanted, or expired prescription drugs. (Don’t just flush your drugs; doing so will eventually corrupt the ecosystem.) This year’s Drug Take Back Day takes place on Saturday, April 27.
Click here to find a collection site near you. Last year, 5,839 collection sites nationwide collected 914,236 pounds of unused prescription drugs.
MHA and its hospital members have been at the forefront of the drug disposal issue. As part of its comprehensive guidance on opioid management within hospitals, MHA’s Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment Task Force (SUDPTTF) issued a series of documents, including ones that hospitals can use to inform patients about local disposal options for prescription medications.
Review MHA’s efforts relating to substance use disorder here.