The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has a permanent prescription drug drop box located in Town Hall, giving community members an easy way to dispose of their unneeded or unwanted …
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Drug drop box staying busy
Drop box.jpg
Posted
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has a permanent prescription drug drop box located in Town Hall, giving community members an easy way to dispose of their unneeded or unwanted medications.
The drop box got a lot of use over the summer, with locals still making good use of the service. According to a report during the Sept. 8 meeting of the Fountain Hills Coalition, nearly 150 pounds of unwanted/unneeded/expired pills were delivered over the past couple of months.
MCSO Captain Larry Kratzer offered recent numbers at the September Coalition meeting, saying 69 pounds were dropped off in July, 56 pounds in August and 17 pounds in the first week of September. All told, that’s 142 pounds in just over two months.
Those wishing to use the drop box can visit Town Hall during regular business hours, located at 16705 E. Avenue of the Fountains. The drop box is located in the lobby, next to the MCSO office on the right. Pills should be poured into a sealable bag. No liquids, creams or needles should be included, something Kratzer stressed in his update. Simply drop the bag of pills into the drop box and you’re done.
The purpose of the drop box is to address a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.
Rates of prescription drug abuse in Arizona are notably high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Arizonans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines – flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash – both pose potential safety and health hazards.
For more information about preventing prescription drug abuse, go to fhcoalition.org.
The next Prescription Drug Take Back Day is scheduled for Oct. 29. This is the annual big push to encourage everyone to clean out their cabinets and remove potentially harmful drugs from their home. Additional information will be provided closer to the event.
