A local coalition combatting opioid abuse in Del Norte County is reminding residents of the local options available to dispose of unused prescription medications.

Those options include a new medication disposal bin at CVS Pharmacy as well as bins at Walgreens and Open Door Clinic, according to a news release from Rx Safe Del Norte. The Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office will take unused prescription medicines and will pick them up if people are unable to get to them, according to the news release.

The sheriff’s office also holds annual drug take-back events. Any medication, including opioids, are disposed of properly while protecting patients’ privacy, according to the news release. CVS Pharmacy is at 657 U.S. 101 in Crescent City, while Walgreens is at 787 L Street in Crescent City. Open Door Clinic is at 550 E. Washington Boulevard in Crescent City and the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office is at 650 5th Street in Crescent City.

Here's what Rx Safe Del Norte has to say about the issue:

Look in your medicine cabinets. Do you have unused prescription medications that you have not disposed of or forgotten you have? Many of us do and haven’t even considered that it might be a problem. Improper drug disposal can lead to many difficulties for people and the environment. Medication disposal is especially crucial if you have any opioid medications such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, Vicodin, codeine, morphine, fentanyl, and others. Medicines that are not correctly disposed of can end up in our water supply, fall into the hands of someone who may abuse them, or there is an increased risk of someone taking a wrong or expired medication. Safely disposing of drugs can prevent them from getting into the hands of people who shouldn't have them.

There are many options to dispose of medications properly here in Del Norte County. CVS has just placed a new medication disposal bin locally here in Crescent City, and there are medication take-back bins at Walgreens and Open Door.  You can also drop off medications at the Sheriff’s Office, or you can call for a pickup if you are unable to get to the office. The Sheriff’s Office does annual drug take-back events as well. All these medications collected through these take-back bins and programs are disposed of properly and protect your privacy. You can get rid of any prescription medications through these programs, not just opioids.

In 2017, nearly 2,200 California residents died from an opioid-related overdose, and over 70% of these involved a prescription opioid pain medication. According to SAMSHA, 2 out of 3 teens who misused prescription pain relievers in the past year say they got them from family or friends, including their home’s medicine cabinets. More than half of individuals misusing prescription opioids report they obtained them from a friend or relative, according to a 2015 survey on Drug Use and Health. There are some simple steps to helping prevent opioid poisonings or overdoses from prescription medications. Securing your medication and keeping them out of sight, you can get age-appropriate devices such as child latches, locked cabinets, or lockboxes for medication. Don’t share prescription medication with others. Know what medicines are in your home and regularly check to make sure medicine is not missing. Dispose of expired or unused medication at a dropbox location.

Rx Safe Del Norte is excited to work with our partners like CVS Health to provide a safe, environmentally sound methods of removing all unwanted medications from our homes to help make our communities safer. If you have unused or unwanted medications, be sure to safely and appropriately discard all remaining medication as soon as possible. Help keep our community, waterways, and wildlife safe by properly disposing of your unused medications!

If you would like to know more about RxSafe Del Norte, you can contact Jermaine Brubaker at 707-951-0561, at rxsafedelnorte.org or at https://www.facebook.com/RxSafeDelNorte.

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