Novant Health asks the community to ‘Spring clean your medicine cabinet' on April 22
WHAT: To help ensure the safe disposal of unused medications, Novant Health is encouraging members of the community to spring clean their medicine cabinets on April 22, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Take your expired or unused medications to a location convenient to you:
Special event April 22, 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.
Novant Health installed medication take back containers in its hospital lobbies 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. Locations include:
Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center, 207 Old Lexington Road, Thomasville, NC 27360
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
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 1,800 physicians and over 35,000 team members who provide care at more than 800 locations, including 15 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 our website at NovantHealth.org. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
