This shop has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AprilDrugTakeBackDay
April 30th is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day! I’d never heard of it before this year, but I think this initiative is incredibly important, so I wanted to talk a little bit about it in today’s post. If you’re also unfamiliar, the LifeInCheck™ Consumer Drug Take-Back Program is all about safely discarding (and further preventing the flushing or trashing of) unwanted or expired medication. Not only does it prevent drug abuse, but it also limits the opportunity for pet and child poisoning. Also, many unwanted medications aren’t properly disposed of, so it helps protect our environment (specifically our water supply), as well.
For some context, I know this is a deviation from the typical southern lifestyle content I post. If you’ve read my blog in the past, though, you know I haven’t been shy about sharing my struggles with mental health over the years. All those posts have sparked lots of interesting (and sometimes difficult) conversations for me. As a result, I’ve learned that lots of Americans, including several I know personally, struggle with prescription drug abuse. For that reason alone, I love the idea of dedicating a day to educating ourselves on prescription medicine disposal. Keep reading for more information on the LifeInCheck Consumer Drug Take-Back Program and how to find and use the closest LifeInCheck Consumer Drug Take-Back Kiosk!
What is a drug take-back program?
Drug take-back programs give us an answer to two important questions– how and where to dispose of old medicine. Essentially, Inmar Intelligence’s LifeInCheck consumer drug take-back program was created to provide consumers with a safe option for discarding unused or expired medications in secure kiosks located across the country.
To participate visit Inmar’s Safe Medicine Drop website, enter your zip code, and review the list of drug take-back kiosks near you. Then, use these secure kiosks to discard vitamins, OTC medicines, and any other unwanted or expired prescriptions (excluding sharps and inhalers) you may have around your home.
Where and how do you dispose of old medicine?
The best way to dispose of unwanted or expired medication is through a drug take back program, such as the LifeInCheck Consumer Drug Take-Back Program.
To get started, click here to find a LifeInCheck Consumer Drug Take-Back Kiosk near you. These secure receptacles are located all over the country, so odds are you’re already close to one. Once you arrive at the location, look for the LifeInCheck Consumer Drug Take-Back Kiosk near the pharmacy. For reference, I’m showing a photo of the one I used at my local grocery store below. If you can’t find it, ask the attending pharmacist for help.
Once you find a receptacle, you can dispose of any of the following. Keep in mind that there are some restrictions (listing those below)–
- Unused or expired prescription medication (Including Schedule II-V controlled substances)
- Unused or expired over-the-counter medication
- Pet medication
Equally important, here are the items not accepted at receptacles:
- No liquids or sharps
- Schedule I controlled substances
- Illegal drugs
- Thermometers
- Inhalers
- Lotions/Liquids
- Aerosol Cans
- Needles
- Hydrogen Peroxide
Why should you participate in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day?
The truth is that not very many people know how or where to dispose of old medicine. I didn’t– and I’ll also be the first to admit that up until a few weeks ago, I had no idea about the impact of improper disposal either. So, National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is an opportunity to educate others on safe medicine disposal. Doing so can help–
- Prevent Child Poisoning– Leaving unused or expired prescription medication in the home can lead to accidental poisoning.
- Prevent Drug Misuse/Overdose– Unused prescription drugs can lead to drug misuse, overdose, and abuse.
- Protect Our Water Supply– Unused or expired medications are often flushed down the toilet or thrown in the trash, both of which can contaminate the water supply.
Safe prescription medicine disposal really is really pretty simple, just not everyone knows how to do it. So, if you know someone who may benefit from this information, forward them this post or direct them to Inmar’s Safe Medicine Drop.
Finally, as always, please let me know if you have any questions about National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day or about how or where to dispose of old medicine. If I don’t personally know the answer, I’ll do some digging and get back to you. Thanks so much for reading, y’all!
