Medication disposal event set for April 28

  • Published
  • By Det. Edward Garcia Jr.
  • 6th Security Forces Squadron
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  As part of a national campaign led by the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Agency, the 6th Security Forces Squadron in conjunction with the 6th Medical Group pharmacy and the 6th Air Mobility Wing Drug Demand Reduction staff have scheduled a Prescription Drug Take Back event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 28, to allow the public to dispose of unwanted or unused medications.

To help address this vital public safety and public health issue, collection stations will be set up at the Exchange and the Commissary to allow Department of Defense ID cardholders an opportunity to rid their homes of these expired, unused, unwanted and potentially dangerous medications. The service is free and anonymous; no questions asked.

This is the fifth time this service has been provided to ID cardholders at MacDill, and is an effort to safeguard the community and environment. To date, ID cardholders have turned in more than 400 pounds of medications for disposal.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that accumulate in home medicine cabinets are at risk for 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 stockpiles of medications in the home. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. Currently, the public is now advised that previous methods for disposing of unused medications -- flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash, pose potential safety and health hazards.

In addition, Jan. 30 the DoD issued a memo announcing the future expansion of the military drug-testing program to include two additional drug categories: benzodiazepines such as Valium® and Xanax®, and hydrocodone which are found in Vicodin® and Lortab®. Though the misuse of illicit drugs or prescription medications in the Air Force is the lowest of any service, any misuse is unacceptable.

Keeping expired, unused, unwanted and potentially dangerous medications around the house or dorm brings with it a great amount of risk -- risk to good health, risk of misuse and diversion, and ultimately risk to the Air Force mission. By getting rid of these items at this event, our homes and community become safer, medications are properly disposed of to minimize any impact to the environment, and significant risk to our mission will be averted.

The 6th SFS will ensure there will be a police presence at the collection sites, though there will be no questions asked. Personnel will be available to answer any questions or address concerns.