Take The Next Step Toward Better Public Health

Kirk Herweck, Sr. Director, Consumer Drug Take-Back | September 26, 2022

CDTBSurvey_Sept2022

How often do you clean out your medicine cabinet? According to our survey, 64% of you have unused or expired drugs at home. This can lead to accidental child poisoning, drug misuse and abuse, and if disposed of improperly, water contamination. To tackle all three issues and boost public health, safe drug disposal awareness and participation has to improve.

THE PUBLIC WANTS TO HELP, BUT THEY DON’T KNOW HOW.

Safe drug disposal programs are gaining traction, but our recent research shows awareness is lacking.

  • While 56% of people are aware of the environmental issues associated with tossing prescriptions in the trash or flushing them down the toilet or sink, over 57% still dispose of their medications unsafely.
  • 76% of people would like access to a local kiosk or mail-in program to dispose of their meds, with 67% being somewhat or very likely to switch pharmacies for those services.
  • 34% of people know their pharmacy offers safe disposal options, while 45% say they’re not sure. 

This is an opportunity. Pharmacies promoting their own drug disposal programs would not only increase consumer education but help to make proper disposal universal.

IT’S TIME WE MADE SAFE DISPOSAL EASY! 

To spread awareness, we promote the DEA’s twice yearly National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. These events help communities prevent drug addiction, overdoses, and environmental waste through proper drug disposal. Just drive through and drop off. Your community can enjoy a no-hassle way to get rid of unused meds on October 29, 2022. Look for an official event in your area! 

Take-Back Days are a step in the right direction, but they’re only twice a year. Safe drug disposal should be accessible and convenient every day — so we’ve been expanding public access through a handy network of neighborhood drug take-back kiosks.

Our LifeInCheck Consumer Drug Take-Back Program provides these kiosks to pharmacies, making drug disposal easy and immediate. Through the convenience of a local kiosk, our friends and neighbors are able to safely remove unneeded medications from their homes, prevent water contamination and child poisonings, and reduce accidental drug overdoses and misuse year round. 

TAKE THE NEXT STEP TOWARDS A SAFER COMMUNITY. FIND A CONVENIENT KIOSK NEAR YOU