University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic Join Forces to Prevent Substance Misuse and Overdose Deaths by Hosting Drug Take Back Day on October 29

Substance misuse and unintentional overdose deaths continue as an epidemic across Northeast Ohio and the nation. Most misused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often from a home medicine cabinet, according to The National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Unused or expired medications are best disposed of at an official disposal location. As part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 29, University Hospitals (UH) and Cleveland Clinic are partnering to host collection efforts at 39 locations throughout Northeast Ohio.

“Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to abuse,” said Champ Burgess, Chief Pharmacy Officer at UH. “Preventing substance misuse and overdose deaths are chief among Northeast Ohio’s most pressing public health needs. Partnering for Drug Take Back Day is just one example of how the collaborative alliance formed by University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic can move our region toward mitigating the opioid epidemic and reducing unintentional drug overdose deaths.”

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.

“The opioid epidemic continues to take a toll on our communities, and we are pleased to be working with University Hospitals on initiatives to curb this problem,” said Samuel Calabrese, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Cleveland Clinic. “Drug Takeback Days are important reminders to the public that there are safe and convenient ways to remove unused medications from the home. Our disposal kiosks are available on takeback days, and every day, and are a simple way to reduce the risk of accidental drug exposure and misuse.”

ACCEPTABLE ITEMS:

• Prescription medications
• Over-the-counter medications
• Liquid medication in bottles (less than 4 ounces) – package bottles in a Ziploc® bag

ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED:

• Illegal or “street” drugs
• Needles, syringes or sharps containers
• Medical devices and batteries
• Aerosol cans and inhalers
• Mercury-containing devices
• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Liquid antineoplastic (chemo) agents

WHERE and WHEN:

• Click here for information about UH event locations and times
• Click here for information about Cleveland Clinic medication disposal locations and hours

In addition, as part of overall efforts to keep the community healthy, UH Ahuja, Lake West, and TriPoint medical centers will offer no-cost glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure screenings during this event. Project DAWN, which provides free Narcan kits and opioid education, will also be present at all UH locations.

The public can safely dispose of medications outside of this one-day event. Click here to visit UH’s year-round prescription drug collection sites. Cleveland Clinic also has disposal sites across Northeast Ohio. Information about those 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.