University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic Join Forces to Prevent Substance Misuse and Overdose Deaths by Hosting Drug Take-Back Day on April 22

Substance misuse and accidental overdose deaths continue as an epidemic across Northeast Ohio and the nation. Most people who misuse prescription drugs get them 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 April 22, University Hospitals (UH) and Cleveland Clinic are partnering to host collection efforts at 34 locations throughout Northeast Ohio.

“When unused medicines sit for a long time at home, they’re more likely to be abused,” said Michael Carlin, Senior Director of Pharmacy, Business Operations and Logistical Management at UH. “Substance misuse and overdose deaths plague our Northeast Ohio communities. Partnering for Drug Take-Back Day is just one example of how the collaborative partnership formed by University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic can move our region toward addressing the opioid epidemic and reduce 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.

“We offer drug disposal kiosks year-round, but drug take-back days are important reminders for everyone to check their cabinets for unused or expired medications,” said Samuel Calabrese, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Cleveland Clinic. “We know that unused medications have the potential for abuse, and this is a simple way to help curb misuse. The opioid epidemic continues to take a serious toll on our communities, and we are pleased to continue to work with University Hospitals on ways to combat this problem.”

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, Geauga, 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.

Many of these locations are open year-round and 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.