Press Release: Novant Health asks the community to clean out its medicine cabinets
To help ensure the safe disposal of unused medications, Novant Health is encouraging members of the community to clean out their medicine cabinets Oct. 28, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Novant Health is hosting a special event Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Bolton Elementary School (1250 Bolton St., Winston-Salem). The drive-thru event is in conjunction with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Department and Inmar Intelligence, a drug stewardship operator and leader in pharmaceutical reverse distribution. Unused, unwanted or expired prescription and/or over-the-counter medications will be accepted at the special event, in addition to sharps.
At the drug take back event in April, more than 530 pounds of medications and sharps were collected.
Additionally, Novant Health has permanent medication take back containers in its hospital lobbies for year-round disposal as part of its sustainability goals and initiatives. Anyone in the community may use the containers free of charge to dispose of unused, unwanted or expired prescription and/or over-the-counter medications. Sharps are not accepted at these permanent take back containers. Locations include:
● Novant Health Clemmons Medical Center, 6915 Village Medical Circle, Clemmons, NC 27012
● Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, 3333 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
● Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center, 1750 Kernersville Medical Parkway, Kernersville, NC 27284
● Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center, 207 Old Lexington Road, Thomasville, NC 27360
“Novant Health is excited to partner with Inmar Intelligence to provide our patients and community with this safe, convenient medication disposal opportunity. We hope to continue this partnership to provide similar events in the future,” said Sacha Pollard Deloney, senior director of pharmacy, Novant Health. “Novant Health recognizes the risk unwanted medications pose to the community year-round. Each hospital has installed permanent medication collection receptacles to provide a convenient, safe and secure disposal option that is always available to our communities.”
WHY: Prescription drugs are the second most common type of illicitly used drugs, only behind marijuana. According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.3 million people over age 12 reported misusing a prescription pain reliever in the prior year, with just under half of respondents reporting they received the medication from a friend or relative. Prescription pain relievers are not the only risk, however, with 5.1 million people reporting misuse of prescription stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin in the past year the past year, and another 4.8 million people reporting benzodiazepine misuse.
About Novant Health
Novant Health is an integrated network of hospitals, physician clinics and outpatient facilities that delivers a seamless and convenient healthcare experience to communities in North Carolina and South Carolina. The Novant Health network consists of more than 1,900 physicians and over 36,000 team members who provide care at more than 800 locations, including 16 hospitals and hundreds of outpatient facilities and physician clinics. In 2022, Novant Health provided more than $1.5 billion in community benefit, including financial assistance and services.
For more information, visit NovantHealth.org. Follow Novant Health on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
