Good news! You can now get rid of any unused medicine at several of our hospitals. This includes common medications such as antibiotics. It also includes controlled substances like Adderall, Ambien and Vicodin.
The danger of unused medications
Opioid addiction is dangerous. And it’s a growing problem. About 3 out of 4 people who use heroin started with prescription painkillers. Plus, medicines in the home are the 2nd leading cause of accidental poisoning. That’s why it is so important to get rid of all unused medicine, especially narcotics.
Unused medicine should not be thrown in the trash. It should also not be flushed down the toilet. Experts say most treatment plants cannot remove prescription drugs from city water. So if they are not disposed of properly, they can end up in our drinking water. And they can harm the health of fish, frogs and other wildlife.
Instead, please use the take-back boxes to get rid of your old medicine:
Here’s what the locked take-back boxes at our hospitals look like. You can use them to safely get rid of any of your unused medicines.To ensure security and to protect your privacy, the take-back boxes are locked. Once medications are dropped into them, they cannot be retrieved. When the box is full, an authorized disposal company will pick it up. The box and its contents are then burned in an incinerator.
Dropping off medicine in the take-back boxes is free for patients.
Also please note that there are many government buildings that do drug take-back:
Items that are not accepted
Please don’t drop off needles, thermometers, inhalers and medical waste. Our facilities do not have a method for properly disposing of these.
HealthPartners has had a take-back disposal program since 2011. We’ve collected more than 15,000 pounds of medicine, including both controlled and non-controlled substances.
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