JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md./JOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING, Washington, D.C. –
Staff from the Malcolm Grow Medical Clinics and Surgery Center and Anacostia-Bolling Medical Clinic will host a National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event at Joint Base Andrews, Md., and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, D.C., Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Medical personnel will set-up National Take back Initiative collection sites at each installation's base exchange, for the 7th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
The aim of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is to provide a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs. It also provides an opportunity for medical personnel to educate the general public about the prescription medication abuse.
"A day like this demonstrates the American public's continued appreciation and need for the opportunity to discard unwanted, unused and expired prescription drugs from medicine cabinets, bedside tables, and kitchen drawers," said Lt. Col. Glenn Laird, Pharmacy Flight commander.
"It is so easy to do. Just go through all of your unwanted, unused and expired prescription drugs and bring them to us at our collection site at the Base Exchange," Laird said.
According to the 2011 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Survey on Drug Use and Health, twice as many Americans regularly abused prescription drugs than the number of those who regularly used cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin and inhalants combined. The same study revealed more than 70 percent of people abusing prescription pain relievers get them from friends or relatives, a statistic that includes raiding the family medicine cabinet.
The DEA's Take-Back events are a significant piece of the White House's prescription drug abuse prevention strategy released in 2011 by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Disposal of unwanted, unused or expired drugs is one of four strategies for reducing prescription drug abuse and diversion laid out in Epidemic: Responding to America's Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis. The other strategies include education of health care providers, patients, parents and youth; enhancing and encouraging the establishment of prescription drug monitoring programs in all the states; and increased enforcement to address doctor shopping and pill mills.