Saturday October 27th 2018 is National Take Back day! It is a safe and responsible way of disposing of unused and expired prescription drugs.

This day was established by the United States Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration to address a massive public health issue.

6.2 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs according to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. In that same study, it was found that most of the abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, reported by the DEA website.

In light of the National Opioid Crisis, this is particularly disturbing information as prescription opioids can become highly addictive. According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2017 doctors wrote almost 58 opioid prescriptions for every 100 Americans. And even though the prescription rate of opioids has been declining since 2012, there is still an abundance of unused prescription drugs piling up in our medicine cabinets.

But wait! Before you dump those pills down the toilet. Both the European Union and the Environmental Protection Agency have found, along with environmental scientists around the world, that our waterways are already polluted with over-the-counter and prescription drug waste. According to an article published by The Guardian, in the European Geosciences Union conference in Vienna, scientists stated that the amount of pharmaceutical pollution in our waterways could increase by two-thirds by 2050.

What can we do? 

We can help in our own community. There is a convenient way to responsibly, and legally, dispose of those old prescription pills cluttering your cabinets and presenting potential hazards to your family. Bring them for  RX Take Back day! Check out the flyer below for a location near you.