Tri-City Medical Center collected 470 pounds of prescription medication during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 27th – the second largest amount in the County, following Chula Vista. With the Carlsbad site at Scripps Coastal Medical Center collecting 284 pounds, and the Vista site at Walgreen’s collecting 196 pounds, the total collected in the Tri-City area was 950 pounds.
This participation demonstrates concern for keeping youth safe from dangerous prescription drugs, as well as protecting the environment from medications that can reach our water supply. San Diego County had 42 sites available, and collected 17,377 pounds in total.
The next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will take place on October 26th for all the sites check www.deatakeback.com. Permanent prescription drug drop boxes are available year-round if you need to properly dispose of medications before then. Drop boxes are located at most law enforcement stations including Carlsbad Safety Center, Vista Sheriff’s Station, and Oceanside Operations Center located at 4927 Oceanside Blvd. Some pharmacies have also installed permanent drop boxes.
The North Coastal Prevention Coalition (NCPC) also offers presentations to senior citizen groups called “Power of Grandparents.” High school students conduct the presentation to share how important seniors are to keeping their grandchildren substance free, and how important safe disposal is. The presentation includes a portable drop box to collect and dispose of medications that seniors bring to the presentation. And a medical professional participates to discuss potential interactions between medications and other substances such as alcohol. Any group that would like to schedule a presentation may contact John Byrom at NCPC (760) 631-5000 x 7149 or jbyrom@vcc.org
