Since Intermountain community pharmacies installed the medication disposal drop boxes, more than 15,000 pounds of unused medications have been disposed of

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, USA, October 27, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- National Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday, October 28, and citizens across the country are encouraged to take all unwanted medication to either a police station or a designated medication disposal site to ensure their medication is safely disposed.

Intermountain Healthcare’s community pharmacies in Utah offer safe, secure, and anonymous medication disposal bins throughout the year in collaboration with Use Only As Directed. Anyone can come to an Intermountain community pharmacy to dispose of unwanted medication, get helpful information on medication safety, and purchase a naloxone kit to use in case of opioid overdoses.

Since Intermountain community pharmacies installed the medication disposal drop boxes in 2015, more than 15,000 pounds of unused medications have been disposed of.

An average of 142 Americans die from opioid overdoses every day, with a prescription opioid being involved in nearly half of opioid related deaths. President Trump has declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency.

Providing medication disposal bins is one step Intermountain Healthcare is taking to decrease opioid related deaths. "The opioid crisis affects all of us," said David Hasleton, MD, Intermountain associate chief medical officer. "I have family members and very close friends who have been affected. We all benefit if there are fewer opioids left in medicine cabinets."

Some reasons to properly dispose of unwanted medications at a designated disposal site:

• Keeping unused medications in your home can increase risk of theft.
• Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold.
• Flushing medication down the toilet can affect groundwater.

To locate the nearest Intermountain drop box, visit the Intermountain Community Pharmacies website. Intermountain community pharmacy caregivers are also available to provide education about medications to prevent medication misuse. For more information about opioid safety, visit UseOnlyAsDirected.org.

Intermountain Healthcare is a Utah-based not-for-profit system of 22 hospitals, 180 clinics, a Medical Group with about 1,500 employed physicians and advanced practitioners, a health plans group called SelectHealth, and other medical services. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare through high quality and sustainable costs. For more information, visit www.intermountainhealthcare.org.

Daron Cowley
Intermountain Healthcare
801-442-2834
email us here