Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center Will Partner with Law Enforcement to Take Back Unwanted Medications

Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center, in partnership with the LAPD, is encouraging community members to participate in the 14th “National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day” on Saturday, October 28, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The service is free, easy, and anonymous.

“Events like this offer health care providers and law enforcement an opportunity to raise awareness about the benefits of properly storing and disposing of medication,” said Shelly Fisher, Area Pharmacy Director, Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center. “Our ultimate goal is to reduce the number of people who misuse, abuse or overdose from these powerful drugs.”

Drug take-back programs address vital public safety and public health issues while providing local residents with a convenient way to safely dispose of expired, unwanted, or unused medicines. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse

“This program has been very successful at reducing the risk posed by unwanted medicines,” said Fisher. “In April, during our last Drug Take-Back Event, we collected more than 465 pounds of unwanted medications. By properly disposing of drugs, we reduce the risk of abuse, accidental poisonings and environmental damage posed by such medications, especially controlled prescription drugs such as painkillers, tranquilizers and stimulants.”

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioids (including prescription opioids and heroin) killed more than 33,000 people in 2015 alone. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often from home medicine cabinets.

People unable to participate on October 28 can properly dispose of unwanted medications at drug disposal kiosks in Kaiser Permanente facilities throughout Southern California. Kiosks are available at the South Bay Medical Center’s Normandie North and Coastline pharmacies, located at 25825 S. Vermont Avenue in Harbor City, for public use during regular service hours.