Did you know that 53 percent of misused prescription drugs come from family and friends? The source of those prescription drugs is often the home medicine cabinet.
Saturday, April 30, local law enforcement and prevention coalitions will host three prescription drug take-back sites in Taney County during the DEA National Rx Drug Take Back Day.
The Taney County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team (ADAPT) and the Stone & Taney Counties Substance Use Initiative have partnered with local pharmacies to promote safe medication disposal as a part of the event. Coalition volunteers will be on site during the event handing out free medication safety information and medication destruction packets.
“Each Take Back event gives community members the opportunity to rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired and unused prescription medications,” says Marietta Hagan, CoxHealth project coordinator and member of the coalitions.
Drug Take Back Days are a great alternative to flushing medications, which is discouraged. Drug Take Back Days and the use of the permanent drug drop boxes in Stone and Taney counties protects area waterways from contamination from medications. City and county sewer systems and private septic systems are designed to treat biological waste and do not remove medications that are flushed down the toilet or dropped down a sink.
During the Take Back Day, medication drop off locations will be set up on April 30 at the following pharmacies:
- BRANSON: Lakeland Pharmacy – 1232 Branson Hills Pkwy (10am to 2pm)
- BRANSON: CoxHealth Pharmacy – 525 Branson Landing Blvd (10am to 2pm)
- HOLLISTER: Walgreens Pharmacy – 101 Industrial Park Drive (10am to 2pm)
Over-the-counter medications, pet medications, and prescription medications are accepted in pill form, liquid form, patches, and creams. No inhalers or needles/syringes will be accepted.
ADAPT’s mission is to reduce and prevent the use of alcohol and other drugs by the youth of Taney County through evidence-based strategies. The Stone & Taney Counties Substance Use Initiative is a project of Cox Medical Center Branson and funded by a Skaggs Legacy Endowment grant.
