Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, April 27!
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is held biannually, on the last Saturdays of April and October, to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential misuse of medications.
The next Take Back Day will be held on Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On this day and every day, Washingtonians are encouraged to dispose of their unneeded or expired prescription medications. To find a location near you, visit medtakebackwashington.org. You can also request a mail-back package to dispose of unwanted medications, inhalers, and injectors.
Want to learn more about what you can do to prevent opioid misuse and overdose? Check out Health Care Authority's Starts with One and Friends for Life campaign websites.
Safe medication return success: South Whidbey CARES Coalition
In the rural communities of South Whidbey Island, finding a place to take unused or expired medications can be a challenge. “Medications left unlocked and accessible pose the greatest risk,” shared coalition coordinator Lauri Johnson-Grimm. In addition to increasing youth access to drugs, she adds that “Elderly people are at risk for taking too much, or a wrong dose when medications are left in cupboards or cabinets.” While medtakebackwashington.org lists two permanent disposal sites in South Whidbey, residents often reported that when they took medications to dispose of them, the receptables listed were not available for various reasons. “We were getting people coming to our Take Back event with gallon sized bags of unused medications, often due to the death of a family member, and they had no other reliable options than to hang onto them until the next Take Back.”
The South Whidbey CARES Coalition, a member of the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI), reached out to the operator of the two drop-box locations, MED-Project of Washington. Members of the coalition's opioid prevention committee met with manager John Eckert, who heard their concerns about availability of the two boxes, their unique local conditions, and offered some background information about how individual drop boxes are managed. Through a back-and-forth conversation, they were able to establish several action items which should help increase access to safe medication return options. As a result of this meeting, the South Whidbey CARES Coalition is now an official MED-Project information site and will support communication and processes between South Whidbey residents and state-level medication return managers. This includes distributing mail-in bags, recommending and supporting new drop box sites, and building key partnerships to increase disposal access.
The South Whidbey CARES Coalition has made medication return and safe storage a top priority, so this development has been welcome news. “We’re glad Mr. Eckert could meet with us,” added Lauri, “he was genuine and eager to answer our questions and concerns. It's the beginning of a powerful partnership with mutual benefit.” This story has been shared with state managers at Health Care Authority and Department of Health and will hopefully inspire others to make positive changes in their own communities.
