Parkview Whitley in Columbia City and Meijer in Warsaw are participating in National Drug Take Back Day on April 27.
Parkview Whitley Hospital will be collecting and disposing of expired and unneeded medications in conjunction with the national Prescription Drug Take Back initiative. The hospital will host a collection site on April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in a joint effort between Parkview Whitley Hospital Pharmacy, the Indiana Board of Pharmacy and the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, according to a news release from Parkview Whitley.
The Drug Take Back initiative aims to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft, accidental poisonings and overdoses through responsible, environmentally friendly disposal of unused, expired and unwanted medications. Throwing medications in the trash or flushing them down the toilet to discard them presents health and safety hazards in the environment.
“Drug Take Back Day provides a convenient way for area residents to dispose of unwanted or expired medications,” said Amanda Knowles, PharmD, pharmacy manager, Parkview Whitley and Parkview Kosciusko hospitals. “Left in medicine cabinets or drawers or tossed into the trash, these medications can end up in the wrong hands, which can have dangerous and sometimes tragic results. We hope folks will take this opportunity to protect themselves, their family members and the community!"
On April 27, visitors may drive up to the drop-off point located near the hospital’s main entrance, where they can hand off medications for later destruction.
What To Bring:
Drop off unneeded and expired prescription and over-the-counter medications – in tablet, capsule, gel tab or other solid dosage form. All medications should be in their original bottles or packages, if possible, and all those bottles or packages should be placed inside one container – a bag, box or jug – for ease in handling. Vitamins and supplements will also be accepted.
Illegal drugs, drugs in liquid form, and needles/sharps will not be accepted.
What Not To Bring:
Tips for proper disposal in residential trash bins
Liquids
While liquids will NOT be accepted at this event, here are tips for safely disposing of them:
• Add kitty litter, flour or sawdust to the original container.
• Remove labels from prescription bottles or completely obscure all patient information with dark permanent ink.
• Secure all containers with their lids on tightly and put them in a sealed, heavy-duty bag to keep medications from leaking.
• Put the sealed bag in your trash so that it is not visible, to avoid unintended use or accidental contact.
Needles/Sharps
Safely disposing of sharps (used needles or syringes) is especially important. While sharps will NOT be accepted at this event, here are tips for diabetics and others on appropriate disposal measures for sharps:
• Any used sharp should immediately be placed in a sharps disposal container made of puncture-resistant plastic with leak-resistant sides and bottom and a tight, puncture-resistant lid.
• A heavy-duty plastic household container, such as a thick-sided laundry detergent bottle, or even a metal coffee can, can be used to contain sharps if an FDA-approved container is not available.
• Once the sharps have been placed in the container, seal the lid firmly in place with duct tape to eliminate any chance that it will come open.
• After the sharps container is completely sealed and secured, place it in your trash can.
Check out the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s website, www.fda.gov, to find more information about safe medication disposal.
Meijer Stores Will Also Participe In Drug Take Back Day
The year’s first of two National Prescription Drug Take Back Days is on April 27, and Meijer pharmacists are prepared for an influx of customers to come in and dispose of their unwanted, unused, and expired medications.
Meijer first participated in the national program in February 2019 and has since collected more than 165 tons of unneeded medications in easily identifiable kiosks near each of its in-store pharmacies. In 2023, Meijer customers returned nearly 90,000 pounds or 45 tons of unused or unwanted medications from proper disposal.
At Meijer, every day is drug take back day. Customers can access the kiosks year-round for disposal of over the counter and prescription medications, including controlled substances, during normal pharmacy hours, no questions asked. Items not accepted as part of the program include needles or other sharps, inhalers, mercury thermometers, medications that contain iodine and illicit drugs. Assistance is available, if needed.
This is the 26th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which aims to provide a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs. The retailer is encouraging its customers to take advantage of the program.