Disposing of unused medicines safely and appropriately might be complicated.
Novant Well being will assist by offering “medication take again containers” on April 22, Nationwide Prescription Drug Take Again Day.
Why it issues: Pharmaceuticals are the third-most abused unlawful substance after marijuana and cocaine, based on the Nationwide Heart for Drug Abuse Statistics.
In response to the 2020 Nationwide Survey on Drug Use and Well being, 9.3 million folks over 12 reported misusing a prescription ache reliever within the prior 12 months.
Each 10 minutes, a toddler goes to an emergency room for medicine poisoning, based on Secure Youngsters Worldwide.
“If you happen to put them within the trash, it’s nonetheless accessible for members of the neighborhood to get into, whether or not that be your pets, or youngster at dwelling, or sanitation staff locally,” Gabby Duncan, a second-year pharmacy resident at Novant, stated.”It’s simply not protected.”
Flushing them down the drain additionally poses a security danger.
“It might nonetheless find yourself within the water provide,” Duncan stated.
The most secure solution to get rid of unused medicines is to go to a drugs dropbox.
“Taking the additional step to correctly get rid of medicine can significantly scale back the danger of medicines ending up within the unsuitable palms or polluting our communities’ consuming water,” stated Andrea Reed, Novant Well being vp of pharmacy providers, in a press launch.
Anybody locally could use the containers freed from cost to get rid of undesirable and expired prescription or over-the-counter medicines.
These containers are positioned in 5 hospital lobbies round and close to Charlotte:
Novant Well being Huntersville Medical Heart, 10030 Gilead Street, Huntersville
Novant Well being Matthews Medical Heart, 1500 Matthews Township Parkway, Matthews
Novant Well being Mint Hill Medical Heart, 8201 Healthcare Loop, Charlotte
Novant Well being Presbyterian Medical Heart, 200 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte
Novant Well being Rowan Medical Heart, 612 Mocksville Ave., Salisbury
These unable to make it this Saturday can go to FDA.gov to seek out the closest drop field.
Syringes, sharps, needles and different biohazard supplies aren’t accepted at drop packing containers for security causes.
As a substitute, any thick plastic container, like a laundry detergent container, can be utilized to get rid of sharp objects. If the container is sealed tightly, it may be thrown away within the trash.
