COLUMBIA, Tenn. — Maury Regional Medical Center (MRMC) will offer the public an opportunity to safely dispose of expired, unused or unneeded prescription drugs on Saturday, April 24. This free drug take-back event will be held in front of the MRMC Medical Office Building at 1222 Trotwood Avenue in Columbia from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The event will feature a convenient drive-through disposal process. Social distancing and masking guidelines will be followed with staff members on hand to safely receive items from drivers in their vehicles. The service is free and anonymous with no questions asked.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. 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. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet.
In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — both pose potential environmental safety and health hazards.
The upcoming disposal event is for medications in pill or patch form only. The site cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps.