Police Departments, Health Agencies Support Drug Take-Back Day

TAYLORVILLE - Residents in Christian County can turn in expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs as part of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Oct. 23.

Members of Taylorville Memorial Hospital Community Outreach and Christian County Prevention Coalition helped to organize a collection site at Walgreens in Taylorville, where Taylorville police officers will collect unwanted prescription medication from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the day provides a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of medications, organizers said.

Christian County residents may also dispose of unwanted prescription drugs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 23 at the following locations:

• Pana Police Department, 118 E. 3rd St., Pana.
• Pawnee Police Department, 617 7th St., Pawnee. Residents dropping off medication should use the drive-thru at the police department.

The service is free and anonymous; no questions will be asked. Medications may be left in their packaging. The site cannot accept liquids or needles; only pills or patches.

The majority of misused and abused drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else's medication being stolen from a home medicine cabinet, making unused medications left to sit in home cabinets highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse, according to the DEA's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day website.