Multiple locations will collect unused prescriptions and over-the-counter medications
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Substance misuse and unintentional overdose deaths continue to be serious problems in the United States. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed most misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from a home medicine cabinet.
The best way to dispose of unused or expired medications is to take them to an official disposal location. As part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 30, University Hospitals (UH) and Cleveland Clinic are partnering to host collection efforts at 17 locations throughout Northeast Ohio in addition to promoting collection at two police stations.
“University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic have formed a collaborative alliance to advance the health of our communities by focusing on Northeast Ohio’s most pressing public health needs. Preventing substance misuse and overdose deaths are chief among these issues,” said Champ Burgess, Chief Pharmacy Officer at UH. “This Drug Take Back Day is just one example of our joint approach to mitigating the opioid epidemic and reducing unintentional drug overdose deaths because medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.”
This event gives the public an easy way to rid their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused and unwanted prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs. Many of these medical disposal locations are open year-round.
“We are proud to be working with University Hospitals on a variety of initiatives to control the opioid epidemic in our communities. Collaboration makes us stronger and benefits the health of our communities,” said Samuel Calabrese, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Cleveland Clinic. “Providing the public with a safe and convenient way to remove unused medications from the home is an important step in reducing the risk of accidental drug exposures as well as preventing drug misuse. That is why we are committed to making drug disposal locations accessible on Drug Take Back Day and every day.”
ACCEPTABLE ITEMS:
ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED:
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In addition, as part of our overall efforts to keep our community healthy, UH Ahuja, Geneva, Lake West, TriPoint and Conneaut medical centers will be providing no-cost glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure screenings during this event. UH Portage Medical Center will provide blood pressure screenings.
The public also can safely dispose of medications outside of this one-day event. Click here to visit UH’s nine year-round prescription drug collection sites. Cleveland Clinic has 16 medication disposal sites across Northeast Ohio. Information on locations and hours can be found here.
For information about addiction treatment services, click here to be connected with University Hospitals and click here to be linked to Cleveland Clinic.
| MEDIA CONTACTS: |
|---|
| Cleveland ClinicHalle Bishop, Bishoph@ccf.org, 216.312.5086Andrea Pacetti, Pacetta@ccf.org, 216.312.3040 University HospitalsCarly Belsterling, Carly.Belsterling@uhhospitals.org, 412.889.8866 |
| MEDIA CONTACTS: |
| Cleveland ClinicHalle Bishop, Bishoph@ccf.org, 216.312.5086Andrea Pacetti, Pacetta@ccf.org, 216.312.3040 University HospitalsCarly Belsterling, Carly.Belsterling@uhhospitals.org, 412.889.8866 |
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 72,500 employees worldwide are more than 5,050 salaried physicians and researchers, and 17,800 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,500-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 22 hospitals, more than 220 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2021, there were 10.2 million total outpatient visits, 304,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 259,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio
Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 23 hospitals (including 5 joint ventures), more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system’s flagship quaternary care, academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Oxford University and the Technion Israel Institute of Technology. The main campus also includes the UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, with more than 3,000 active clinical trials and research studies underway. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to 19 Clinical Care Delivery and Research Institutes. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with more than 30,000 employees. Follow UH on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org.
