Crozer Health Supports National Prescription Drug Take Back Day – Saturday, Oct. 27

Crozer Health joins The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) in urging residents of the commonwealth to take advantage of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, October 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of medications.

This is the fifteenth year for the coordinated effort between the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and state and local law enforcement officials. Prescription drug misuse, abuse, and overdose is a major health issue across the country.

The escalation of the opioid epidemic has made these types of initiatives even more critical. According to the DEA, the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicates that 6.2 million Americans misused prescription drugs, the majority of which were taken from family or friends, often from a home medicine cabinet.

Collection Boxes Throughout the County

During the April 2018 National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Pennsylvania hosted 311 collection sites and collected nearly 38,000 pounds of prescription drugs. The Delaware County Heroin Task Force in partnership with the District Attorney’s Office, has 40 secure, permanent Medicine Drop Boxes at nearly all of the police departments, the Government Center in Media, and various Delaware County hospitals – including a drop box in the main lobby at Crozer-Chester Medical Center.

Additionally, the Delaware County Heroin Task Force is continually working in the community to connect those struggling with addiction to treatment and resources through the Delaware County Certified Recovery Specialist Program (CRS).

These specialists, managed by Crozer Health , are available to assist residents around the clock. The Certified Recovery Specialists have engaged and outreached to more than 1,000 people, averaging about three calls a day. Residents can reach a Certified Recovery Specialist by calling 610-619-8616.

Why you should properly dispose of unwanted prescriptions

• Prescription drugs involved in overdoses are almost all originally prescribed by physicians.
• Over the past 10 years, prescription drug abuse has quadrupled; it now results in more deaths than all illicit street drugs combined
• Two-percent of 12th graders have misused or abused prescription narcotics, five-percent tranquilizers, and 10-percent stimulants, such as Adderall and Ritalin.
• Improper disposal of prescription drugs can create environmental hazards impacting groundwater, rivers, and harming wildlife.

How to prepare items for disposal

• All pharmaceutical drugs to be disposed of must be placed in a sealed container such as the original bottle or zip-lock bag
• Liquid pharmaceuticals should remain in the original container
• Personal information should be removed or marked out with a permanent marker

You can dispose of:

• Prescription and over-the-counter solid medications
• Tablets and capsules
• Pet Medicines

You may NOT drop off:

• Intravenous solutions
• Injectables, syringes, and needles, such as EpiPens)
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Compressed cylinders or aerosols, including asthma inhalers
• Iodine-containing medications
• Thermometers
• Alcohol and illicit drugs, such as marijuana, heroin, LSD, etc.

The prescription drug drop-box at Crozer-Chester Medical Center is located in the main lobby, near the information desk.

See a complete list of drop-off locations in Delaware County here.