Spring Clean Your Medicine Cabinet! By Cassie Johnson
F
or many of us, Spring is the time to de-clutter closets, organize pantries, and get rid of items around the house we no longer use. One place we don’t often clean out is our medicine cabinet! The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services’ Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion Branch, together with the Four Rivers Regional Prevention Center is partnering with the FDA to promote safe prescription drug disposal and safe storage. “It’s time to dispose of those unused, expired medications and reevaluate how you store prescription medications in your home,” said Cynthia Turner, Director of the Prevention Department. “We have already purchased 72,000 Medibags that pharmacies put prescriptions in for customers.”
Take Back Day
The Medibags are paper bags that your prescriptions might come in that contain information about the Remove the Risk campaign, safe opioid disposal and storage, and tips on what to ask your doctor before taking opioids. The Drug Enforcement Agency will hold a Take Back Day on April 24th to dispose of unused and expired medications. For more information, visit takebackday.dea.gov and visit the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy at odcp.ky.gov/pages/prescription-drugdisposal-locations.aspx to search for drop off locations by county.
Opioid Disposal Is Important
Otherwise known as pain pills, opioids are commonly prescribed after surgery, chronic pain, or for injuries. These powerful, pain reducing medications include oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine. Opioids can have extremely serious risks if they are misused, whether that be
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Purchase Area Family Magazine
APRIL - MAY 2021 9
