Banner Health Contact: (602) 448-8459
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PHOENIX (Oct. 20, 2017) – For most people, the bathroom cabinet is stocked full of various cosmetics, hair sprays, gels, as well as medications, most collecting dust from lack of use. But unlike hair spray, most medications lose effectiveness, and can even become toxic, if they are used past the expiration date.

And if those medications fall into the wrong hands, they can lead to overdoses and addictions.

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Oct. 28, 2017 addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue as more and more Americans abuse prescription drugs.

In fact, more than 70 percent of those who illegally use prescription pain relievers got them through friends or family, including pilfering from home medicine cabinets, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. More than 6 million Americans abuse prescription drugs and every day 40 Americans die from opioid overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On Oct. 28, people can go through their own medicine cabinets and dispose of medications safely at designated drop-off stations.

To help people prepare for the event, Banner Health experts give these tips on preventing medication misuse:

• Check regularly: Medications and supplements including over-the-counter pills, liquids as well as ointments and sprays, should be checked every three months for expiration dates and gotten rid of appropriately.

• Dispose of cautiously: Throwing prescription drugs in the trash or even flushing them down the toilet can put drugs into the wrong hands and hurt the environment.  

• Don't save for “next time”: Once your condition has been treated and your medication regimen is complete, properly dispose of the drugs. Never keep extra medication for potential future use.

For people who can’t make it to a drug drop-off site on Oct. 28, Banner Health offers three sites throughout the year in metro Phoenix where you can safely dispose of your medications. Banner staff never inspect or sort dropped-off medications. Dropped-off drugs are shipped to an incineration facility for proper disposal free of cost to the community. For more information on drug disposals, go to https://www.bannerhealth.com/services/pharmacy/what-to-expect/drug-disposal-program

About Banner Health
Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health is one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns and operates 28 acute-care hospitals, Banner Health Network, Banner – University Medicine, academic and employed physician groups, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services; including Banner Urgent Care, family clinics, home care and hospice services, pharmacies and a nursing registry. Banner Health is in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.com.

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