University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic Host National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic will partner to host National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at more than a dozen collection locations across Northeast Ohio.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is a biannual event where communities throughout the country set up collection sites for the safe disposal of expired, unwanted or unused pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications. Proper disposal of unused drugs can prevent accidental poisoning, misuse and overdose.

“Unused medications are more likely to be mishandled,” said Michael Carlin, Vice President of Hospital Pharmacy Operations at University Hospitals. “At this event, people can safely rid their homes of these drugs. We are also equipping them with tools to intervene if someone in their life does overdose.”

All UH drug take-back sites will offer free naloxone kits and fentanyl test strips, courtesy of Project DAWN. This continued effort to make naloxone widely available remains a key strategy in fighting the opioid epidemic.

The comprehensive approach appears to be working to combat the opioid crisis, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that U.S. drug overdose deaths decreased by 10%. The CDC also warned earlier this month of a potential public health risk ordering pills from online pharmacies that may be laced with fentanyl and lead to accidental overdose. According to the CDC, there were more than 107,500 overdose deaths in the United States in 2023.

“The safe disposal of unused medications is an important step in preventing the accidental use or even the intentional abuse of drugs in our community,” said Cleveland Clinic’s Chief Pharmacy Officer Lindsey Amerine, Pharm.D. “This is a year-round priority for us but events like Drug Take-Back Day are an excellent opportunity to encourage all of us to take an especially thorough look around for extra medications that we should remove from our homes.”

UH Lake West, Portage and TriPoint medical centers, as well as the Ashland County Sheriff's Office, will provide no-cost glucose and blood pressure health screenings during this event.

“University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic continue to collaborate to advance the health needs of our communities by focusing on the prevention of substance misuse and overdose deaths,” said Jeanne Lackamp, M.D., Chair, Department of Psychiatry at UH Cleveland Medical Center and Director, Behavioral Health Institute at UH Health System. “This Drug Take-Back Day is one example of our joint approach to reduce unintentional drug overdose deaths.”

In addition to northeast Ohio locations, Cleveland Clinic will host collection efforts at four locations in Florida.

"Drug take-back days are important and potentially life-saving events, and we are proud to join hospitals across the country in supporting them,” said Charles Gowans, Regional Director of Outpatient Pharmacy for Cleveland Clinic Florida. “In many households, the likelihood exists for unused medications to be misused, and we want to give the public a safe and effective way to dispose of them.”

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Collection Locations:

• Click here for information about University Hospitals locations and hours
• Click here for information about Cleveland Clinic locations and hours

Cleveland Clinic Florida locations:

• Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital
• Cleveland Clinic Martin North
• Clevland Clinic Martin South
• Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital

Media is invited to cover this event at:

University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center

Outside the Risman Pavilion under the overhang
3999 Richmond Road
Beachwood, OH 44122

Media Contacts:

• University Hospitals: Maia Belay-Roberts: Maia.Belay-Roberts@UHhospitals.org
• Cleveland Clinic: Beth Hertz: Hertzb@ccf.org