The Grundy County Public Health Department, Grundy County Sheriff’s Department, and Grundy County Memorial Hospital are teaming up to offer a convenient way for residents to safely dispose of unused and outdated medications.

The ‘Take Back’ initiative is Saturday, September 27th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Grundy County Courthouse lawn. Members of the public can bring any type of unused or outdated prescription or over-the-counter medication for safe disposal. A representative of the Sheriff’s Department will be on hand so the collection site will be able to accept controlled substances, such as prescription sleeping pills and painkillers. “We’re prepared to accept any and all pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter medications,” says Teri Hook, RN, pharmacy manager at Grundy County Memorial Hospital. “This includes prescriptions through the Veterans Administration (VA), narcotics, dietary supplements, and outdated items that you have purchased without a prescription.”

The Take Back date is part of a national initiative by the Drug Enforcement Agency to safely rid households of medications that can be dangerous when misused, or can contribute to accidental poisoning of young children. According to DEA information, the non-medical use of prescription drugs is the second most common form of drug abuse in the country, and the majority of teens abusing prescription drugs get them from family, friends, and the home medicine cabinet. In addition, simply flushing items down the toilet or disposing of them in landfills poses a hazard to groundwater supplies.

There is no cost for the ‘Take Back’ day on September 27 simply stop by the Courthouse lawn and leave your outdated medications with the sheriff’s department and health agency representatives.

For more information on prescription drug abuse, go to dea.gov.