FORT LEE, Va. (April 14, 2016) -- Kenner Army Health Clinic will participate in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day activities on April 30. Its collection point will be open 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the front circle of the facility, along 24th Street.
All active duty military, reservists, family members, civilian employees, retirees and others can anonymously turn in prescription medication during the drive.
Prescription Drug Take-Back Day addresses one of America's deadliest hazards -- unused, unneeded or outdated medications found in bathroom cabinets, kitchens and bedside tables in nearly every home across the country.
"Many of our service members, retirees and their family members benefit from prescription medications every day," noted Maj. Branden Chun, Chief, pharmacy services at Kenner. "Unfortunately, a great deal of expired or unused medications -- carelessly stored in the back cabinets for months or even years could pose deadly threats to our loved ones if not properly disposed."
Abuse of prescription drugs -- particularly stimulants, such as those used to treat attention deficit disorder, as well as pain relievers and depressants -- stands as the second-leading cause of accidental death across the nation (marijuana is the most prevalent illegal drug problem).
Prescription drug use has increased over the years in the military. About 17 percent of service members reported misusing prescription drugs, including stimulants (other than methamphetamine), tranquilizers/muscle relaxers, sedatives/barbiturates, pain relievers, anabolic steroids and erectile dysfunction drugs, according to the 2008 Department of Defense Survey of Health-Related Behaviors.
As in the civilian population, pain relievers were the most commonly misused/abused type of prescription drug across the military services and in the Army specifically.
The abuse of opiates is becoming more prevalent across the Army as well. Opiate drugs are narcotic sedatives that depress activity of the central nervous system, reduce pain and induce sleep. When misused, opiates can become deadly.
To help address this problem and foster safe and healthy military communities, the take-back events encourage households to safely eliminate unneeded prescribed medications as part of their spring cleaning regime by turning them in for proper disposal.
"Through Prescription Drug Take-Back Day events in the past, KAHC collected a great deal of medications from active duty service members, including advanced individual training students, retirees and their family members, helping them with proper disposition of their medications through the DEA," said Chun.
"The disposal of unused medications is a patient safety issue, so we want to make the turn-in process as easy as possible for our beneficiaries," said Lt. Col. Brett H. Venable, KAHC commander. "We highly encourage everyone in the Fort Lee community to take advantage of this event. We will have pharmacy staff on-site to assist our patients, facilitate the turn-in, and answer any questions."
The clinic is coordinating the local drive, and law enforcement personnel from the Provost Marshal Office will be at the Kenner drop-off location as prescribed by DEA protocols.
For those unable to make it to a collection location, unused or expired medicines can be safely discarded by mixing them with kitty litter or used coffee grounds; placing the mixture in a sealed plastic bag; and throwing it in the household trash. The FDA recommends flushing as a means of disposal for a limited number of medications -- including OxyContin, Demerol and Percocet -- to prevent danger to people and pets in the home.
For more information, call (804) 734-9137.
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