Protect your family, safely dispose of old and expired medications
04/22/13 Portland, Ore.
OHSU observes National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, holds drug drop-off event
What
Keeping unwanted or expired medications around the house exposes you and your family to risks such as accidental poisonings or addictions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more and more Americans are using prescription drugs, a trend that has increased rapidly over the past decade.
Unintentional poisoning deaths have risen as well, and 91 percent are a result of drug overdose. Among children, emergency visits for medication poisonings are twice as common as poisonings from other household products, with more than 80 percent resulting from unsupervised children finding and consuming medications.
With the rising danger associated with larger quantities of medication in the home, one way to protect your family is by safely and responsibly disposing of old and unwanted pharmaceuticals. Oregon Health & Science University can help you do just that during National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday.
OHSU’s free drug take-back day will be held in the drop-off area directly in front of the Emergency Department. Medications can be dropped off with no questions asked. Volunteers from OHSU’s Pharmacy Department and the Oregon Poison Center will be on hand to answer questions.
When
Saturday, April 27, 2013, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where
OHSU’s Emergency Department, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239
Details
The event is being held in collaboration with OHSU’s Pharmacy, Poison Control and Public Safety departments and the Oregon Poison Center at OHSU. The Portland Aerial Tram will be free for those with medications to discard during the drop-off period; be sure to tell one of the tram operators to ensure a free round trip. All the collected prescription drugs will be safely disposed of by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.
About the Oregon Poison Center
The Oregon Poison Center (OPC) is a 24-hour poison emergency management resource for both the public and health care professionals serving Oregon, Alaska and Guam. Located on the campus of Oregon Health & Science University, OPC was established by an act of the Oregon State Legislature in 1978 to provide emergency treatment information for patients experiencing a poisoning or toxic exposure. OPC’s doctors and nurses, who are trained in toxicology, handle nearly 60,000 calls a year utilizing professional expertise as well as an extensive variety of computer databases, textbooks and journal articles to determine the appropriate treatment guidelines for patients. Call the poison center hot line number (1 800-222-1222) for all poison emergencies and questions.
About OHSU
Oregon Health & Science University is the state's only public academic health and research university. As one of Oregon's largest employers with more than 14,000 employees, OHSU's size contributes to its ability to provide many services and community support not found anywhere else in the state. OHSU serves patients from every corner of Oregon and is a conduit for learning for more than 4,400 students and trainees. OHSU is the source of more than 200 community outreach programs that bring health and education services to each county in the state.