National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

September 15, 2010

At Saint Clare’s Health System, we are committed to the care and well-being of the members of our community.

September marks the launch of the first nationwide prescription drug ‘Take-Back’ initiative – aimed at preventing prescription drug abuse and theft in homes and communities. On Saturday, September 25, 2010 from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M., the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will be collecting potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction at sites nationwide, which includes multiple collection points located throughout northwestern New Jersey.

According to the DEA, many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.

Community members with expired, unused, or unwanted prescriptions are encouraged to take advantage of the Take-Back initiative by cleaning out their medicine cabinets in a safe and legal way. The collection service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

While Saint Clare’s hospital campuses are not DEA-supervised collection points, there are numerous local municipal buildings and police stations in New Jersey that are designated collection sites, including locations in Denville, Rockaway, Lake Hopatcong, Succasunna, Butler, and Fairfield. Collection sites in every local community can be found by visiting www.dea.gov or by clicking here.

At Saint Clare’s, we are committed to promoting healthy communities and to being an advocate for safe medication use. We will continue to keep you updated with the information that promotes the health, safety and well-being of members of our community. It’s just one more way that Saint Clare’s is Turning Promise Into Practice every day.