National Prescription Drug Take Back Event at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower

The City of Bellflower and the L.A. County Sheriff's Department have partnered with Kaiser Permanente to host a National Take-Back Initiative event on Saturday, April 27th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Office (9400 E. Rosecrans Ave. Bellflower). The collection site entrance will be indicated on Clark Ave. Local residents can turn in unused or expired medication anonymously for proper disposal by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The event is free to the public.

Proper disposal of expired, unused, and unwanted medication such as personal prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary and herbal supplements, helps protect the environment. In the past, people were advised to flush unused medication down the toilet, but this can contaminate the water.

Prescription drugs that are collected by the DEA will be disposed of by the safest means available for this waste stream. There is also a permanent drug-take-back bin at the entrance of the Lakewood Sheriff's Station at 5130 Clark Ave. where prescription pills, ointments sealed container of syringes and syrups can be dropped off no questions asked. Sharps should be collected for disposal in a heavy-duty plastic household container, such as a liquid laundry detergent container. Unprotected medical "sharps" are not accepted. For more info visit www.dea.gov or www.kp.org.