Medical disposal event hosted at MacDill Pharmacies

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Royce M. Terry, BSC
  • 6th Medical Group
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The 6th Medical Group pharmacy has scheduled a Medication Disposal Event at their pharmacies on Feb. 24 from 1-3 p.m. to allow the public to dispose of unwanted or unused medications. To help address this vital public safety and public health issue the 6th Medical Group has teamed up with the 6th Security Forces Squadron and the 6th Air Mobility Wing Drug Demand Reduction Office 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 fourth time that this service has been provided to ID cardholders at MacDill AFB in an effort to safeguard the community and environment. To date, ID card holders have turned in 382 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--both pose potential safety and health hazards.

In addition, on Jan. 30, 2012, the Defense Department 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 is 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.

Detective Eddie Garcia, 6th Security Forces Squadron chief of intelligence and investigations, will ensure there will be a police presence at the collection sites, however there will be no questions asked. Personnel will be available to answer any questions or address concerns.