On April 26 Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s
Pharmacy department and the Grinnell Police Department will offer the public
another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of
potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. The service is free and anonymous, no
questions asked.
As part of a national campaign, GRMC and the Grinnell
Police Department are partnering to help dispose of prescription pills safely
and correctly. This community initiative hopes to make homes safer by
preventing prescription medication abuse. It also helps prevent the consumption
of expired or inappropriate drugs. Anyone may bring medications for safe,
proper disposal between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, at the Spring
Street side of the Grinnell Public Safety Building, 1020 Spring St.
“This
initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue,” says Lisa
Hart, PharmD, GRMC pharmacist. “Medicines that languish in home cabinets are
highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug
abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental
poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Our goal is to reduce the risk of
drug misuse and protect the environment.”
GRMC’s pharmacy staff will give away a tote or cooler
to individuals who dispose of medications at the Take Back event.
The medications that are brought in during this
one-day national blitz will be incinerated. This is considered the safest
manner to dispose of medications. The
collection site will accept all medications – pill, powder, or liquid form.
They cannot accept “sharps,” which are needles, syringes, and lancets.
GRMC will have a pharmacist available at the
collection as well as Grinnell PD officer Fred Foreman. This program is free.
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