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.