Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health and the Bismarck Police Department will host a Take Back Event on Saturday, October 27, 2018 from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. at Gateway Pharmacy South inside Dan’s Supermarket, 835 S. Washington St., Bismarck.

This Take Back Event coincides with National Prescription Drug Take Back Day which aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing prescription drugs while educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. This Take Back Event will allow area residents to properly dispose of unused and unwanted over the counter and prescription medications preventing drug diversion and misuse in addition to protecting the environment. “Prescription opioid abuse and overdose is a growing concern in North Dakota,” said Renae Moch, Director, Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health. “Unused medications in a home are a public health and safety concern. The Take Back program gives residents an easy and convenient way to dispose of unused and unwanted over-the-counter and prescription medications, helping to protect our communities’ environment and keeping these drugs off the streets and into the wrong hands.”

The following items will be accepted at the Take Back event:

•    Unused or expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, including:

•    Pills, tablets, caplets (remove product from the packaging)

•    Inhalers, nebulizer solutions, liquids and creams (leave in the original container)

•    Controlled substances

•    Pain relief such as Vicodin, Hydrocodone, Demerol, OxyContin, fentanyl, etc.

•    Anti-depressants such as Valium, Zoloft, Prozac, etc.

•    Sleep aids, such as Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata, etc.

The following items will not be accepted at this Take Back event:

•    Sharps (syringes, lancets), thermometers, glass, home-based care (HBC) or durable medical equipment (DME) supplies, and pharmacy inventory. Residents are encouraged to ask their pharmacists where to safely dispose of these items.  

“Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the community,” said Bismarck Police Chief Dave Draovitch. “Access is a key risk factor for abuse and addiction of prescription opioid medication. If we reduce the accessibility of unused or expired medications, the fewer drugs there are to be misused, and fewer people will be at risk for abuse, addiction, overdose, and even death,” said Chief Draovitch.  

The Take Back program was launched in December 2009. North Dakota now offers two free programs for residents to dispose of unwanted medications – the Take Back program at participating law enforcement agencies and the MedSafe program at participating pharmacies. North Dakota is the only state in the nation operating free, year-round, statewide prescription drug disposal programs at local law enforcement agencies and pharmacies. To view a list of all permanent Take Back locations throughout North Dakota, visit http://attorneygeneral.nd.gov/public-safety/take-back-program/take-back-program-locations.

This takeback event is a prevention strategy implemented through the Substance Abuse Prevention Community Grant and the Gold Star Community Task Force Prevention/Education Subcommittee.