MCHD supports Take Back Day for prescription medicines 04.18.2023

April 18, 2023

MCHD supports Take Back Day for prescription medicines

MOBILE, Ala. — Opioid overdose deaths and overdose visits to emergency rooms have been increasing. The Drug Enforcement Administration announced its next National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is scheduled for Saturday, April 22.

At its last Take Back Day in October, the DEA collected a large amount of expired, unwanted, and unused prescription medications, with the public turning in close to 324 tons of unwanted drugs.

The public can drop off expired, unwanted, and unused prescription medications at collection sites across our community. You can learn more about the event by visiting https://www.dea.gov/takebackday.

On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the following organization will have sites established: The Mobile Police Department will provide a drop-off location at its headquarters (2460 Government Street in Mobile). The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office will have drop-off locations at Costco (1450 Tingle Circle East in Mobile), Walgreens #15151 (5707 Cottage Hill Road in Mobile), Walgreens #6085 (5530 Three North Road in Mobile), CVS #4888 (4453 Old Shell Road in Mobile), CVS #7671 (1401 Hillcrest Road in Mobile) and the Mobile County Sheriff Office’s Southside Sub-Station at the Theodore Shopping Center (Suite A, 5808 Highway 90 West).

“This is a great community program to support our residents by reducing the amount of unneeded prescription medications that lead to substance use in our community,” said Dr. Kevin Philip Michaels, Health Officer for Mobile County. “Many studies show that the abused prescription drugs come from family and friends who unknowingly allow them to be taken by others.“

To learn more about the Mobile County Health Department’s Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) program, call 251-410-OD2A (6322). OD2A focuses on the complex and changing nature of the drug overdose epidemic. It highlights the need for an interdisciplinary, comprehensive, and cohesive public health approach.

The DEA has brought in approximately 8,318 tons of prescription drugs in its Take Back Day program.