Prisma Health is among the participants in the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) 22nd National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, Oct.29, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
The initiative aims to provide safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs.
The service is free and anonymous. No sharps or syringes will be accepted, and all event locations will be staffed by security. Both controlled and non-controlled pills, patches, powders, and liquids as well as vaping devices and cartridges will be accepted.
As Level I Trauma Centers, Greenville Memorial Hospital and Richland Hospital provide community education and outreach related to injury prevention including participating in this initiative. Lara Peck, Richland injury prevention coordinator, said, “We are excited to do our part by hosting collection sites for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to prevent unused prescription drugs from getting into the wrong hands.”
Upstate Prisma Health Hospitals participating in Drug Take Back Day, and collection sites:
• Prisma Health Greer Memorial Hospital. In front of main entrance (Take Back Bin is inside the Main Entrance)
• Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital. In front of the main entrance (Take Back Bin is next to Upstate Pharmacy on 1st floor)
• Prisma Health Hillcrest Memorial Hospital. In front of ER entrance (Take Back Bin is outside next to ER Entrance)
Some of the Upstate hospitals also have locked prescription drop boxes available at all times.
Last October, Americans turned in 372 tons of prescription drugs at over 4,982 site operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners. DEA encourages families to turn in medicines because:
• 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.
• Studies show that many abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
Americans are advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines – flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash – both pose potential safety and health hazards.
Visit DEATakeBack.com for more information.