Prescription drug take-back day scheduled for Saturday (UPDATE)

TOPEKA – Law enforcement officers across the state will be collecting unused leftover medications for safe disposal on Saturday, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today in a news release.

The collection events are part of a nationwide effort to safely dispose of leftover medications to prevent accidental or intentional misuse. Since the program began in 2010, the semi-annual event has collected more than 28 tons of unwanted medications in Kansas alone.

From the spring 2013 edition of the prescription drug take-back day.

“Unused medications are dangerous for kids, pets and the environment,” Schmidt said. “Getting these leftover medicines out of the medicine cabinets keeps them from falling into the wrong hands and makes our communities safer.”

Medications will be accepted at drop-off sites across the state from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. To find a location, click HERE. Check back regularly as sites are added up until the day of the event.

In Ellis County, those wishing to drop off unused prescription drugs should go to the Law Enforcement Center, where those drugs are collected year-round by the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department.

Take-back sites in the region also include the Trego County and Rush County sheriff’s departments.

The National Drug Take-Back Day is coordinated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, which collects and safely destroys the medications.

Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that traditional methods for disposing of unused medicines – flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash – pose potential safety and health hazards and should be avoided.

Unused prescriptions can be turned in year-round at many local law enforcement locations. Kansans should contact their local sheriff’s office or police department for more information.