The connection between unused medicine and the heroin crisis is clear. Of people using heroin, 80% of them had previously used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons. The vast majority, 70%, of prescription drug abusers get them from friends or relatives, and most start with medicine cabinet finds.
Keeping unused medicine out of the wrong hands is a simple step each one of us can take to stop opioid addiction before it starts. If you have unused prescription medication at home, dispose of it safely and responsibly at a free, secure drop box for unused medication. With almost 90 locations in Milwaukee County, there is always one nearby. Find one near you at takebackmymeds.com.
Take Back My Meds MKE, a community coalition, is expanding the network of free, secure unused medicine drop boxes available to Milwaukee County residents. In Milwaukee County, drop boxes are located at many pharmacies and fire stations, and at every police station. A map of every drop box, and location of where you can obtain envelopes to safely mail back unused medicine, can be found at takebackmymeds.com. You can use drop boxes or envelopes on any day of the year free of cost.
The easy availability of unused prescription medicines is a major factor in overdose, which is the leading cause of non-natural death in Milwaukee County. It is important to dispose of those medicines in the right way and not put them in the trash or flush them down the toilet.
Putting medicine in the trash is not secure–someone could still find and take them–and could allow the drug compounds in these medications to leach into groundwater. Flushing them down the toilet causes a similar problem–like most sewage treatment systems, ours is not equipped to break down unused medicines. If you flush your medication down the toilet, it's likely to end up in Lake Michigan, the source of Milwaukee County’s drinking water.
Take Back My Meds MKE is looking for more pharmacies to host drop boxes and more businesses and organizations to sponsor them. Drop box hosts and sponsors can make a huge difference in the opioid epidemic by helping residents dispose of unused medications responsibly. Information on sponsoring or hosting a drop box can be found on our website.
Whether by responsibly disposing of unused prescription medications or through sponsoring or hosting a drop box, we can all make a difference in the fight to end opioid deaths. Save the life of someone you love. Responsibly dispose of your unused prescription medicines at the growing network of secure drop boxes. In doing so, you’ll help fight the opioid crisis where it so often starts–at home.
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