People can drop off unused medication 24/7 in the lobby of Covington Police headquarters at 20th and Madison.

24/7 drop-off box, Saturday event offer safe disposal methods

COVINGTON, Ky. – Avoid being the dealer.

That’s the premise behind National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, which offers people the chance to safely and anonymously get rid of unused and expired prescription medications that stack up in medicine cabinets and can find their ways into the hands of people who misuse them.

A special drop-off event being promoted by the Northern Kentucky Health Department and run through the National Institutes for Health, HEAL Initiative coordinated by the University of Kentucky, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kroger at 1525 Madison Ave. See HERE for details.

All pill-form prescription medications are accepted, as are over-the-counter pain medications, NKY Health officials said.

But if you can’t make the event, don’t worry. There are other options in Covington that help you prevent accidental poisonings and overdoses by getting rid of unused prescription medication:

• The Covington Police Station at 20th and Madison has a drop-off box that’s available 24/7 in the lobby. The box is supported through the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators and is managed by the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Task Force.
• Save Discount Drugs at 716 Madison Ave. and CVS pharmacy at 4305 Winston Ave. in Latonia also have drop-off boxes that are available during store hours.

A lot of pills

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which runs the RX Take Back Days, reports that nearly 12,000 tons of prescription medication was collected in Kentucky during an earlier day in April 2021. Through 20 such events, more than 191,000 tons has been collected in the Bluegrass State.

How dangerous

According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.7 million people that year misused prescription pain relievers, 4.9 million people misused prescription stimulants, and 5.9 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives.

Links

• For details about the DEA’s Take Back Days, see HERE.
• For more about the NIH HEAL Initiative and resources for fighting opioid addiction in Kenton County, see HERE or HERE.
• For details about disposing of unused medicines at home (including a list of “flushable” prescriptions), see HERE or HERE.

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