Unused, expired prescription collection scheduled at Vance Saturday

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A receptacle will be placed at Vance's Visitor Control Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 25, for Team Vance members to dispose of their unused and expired medications.

The receptacle is part of the Drug Enforcement Administration's "Prescription Take Back Day." A similar drop off site will be at Jumbo Foods on west Willow in Enid during the same hours.

According to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, prescription drug abuse in America is at epidemic proportions and taming it will take more than law enforcement. He said the U.S. has seen a 400 percent increase from 1998 to 2008 in treatment admissions for people abusing prescription painkillers.

The Institute of Drug Abuse and Addiction defines prescription drug abuse as taking a prescription medication not prescribed for you, or taking it for reasons or in dosages not prescribed.

Prescription drugs account for the second most commonly abused category of drugs, behind marijuana and ahead of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other drugs.
Saturday will be the first prescription drug take-back program conducted by the DEA. It is an initiative to help prevent increased pill abuse and theft, while at the same time providing a safe way to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler said, "With this National Prescription Drug Take-Back campaign, we are aggressively reaching out to individuals to encourage them to rid their households of unused prescription drugs that pose a safety hazard and can contribute to prescription drug abuse."

The following are guidelines for dropping off unused or expired prescriptions at the visitors center Saturday:

Medications should be in their original container or can be disposed of directly into the receptacle. Remove identifying information from the prescription label. Solid dosage pharmaceutical products and liquids in consumer containers may be accepted.

Liquid products should remain in their original container. Injectibles, IV solutions and syringes will not be accepted due to potential hazard posed by blood-borne pathogens.

Collection personnel will not handle medications at any time.

For more information, contact the 71st Medical Group Drug Demand Reduction Program Office at 580-213-5056 or 580-213-6690.