Thank you to Mercy Health-St. Rita's for this reminder about National Drug Take Back Day. If Lima isn't a convenient destination, visit https://safe.pharmacy/drug-disposal for a locator tool.

This Saturday, April 30 is National Drug Take Back Day–a reminder to go through your medicine cabinet and remove expired and unused medications in a safe and secure way. Mercy Health–St. Rita’s has a 24/7 accessible drug take back bin in the Emergency Department waiting room.

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day seeks to provide a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs. The day is also about educating the public about the potential for abuse of medications. It is made possible through the partnership of area police with municipal and health care organizations.

St. Rita’s offers access to a medication drop box 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week in the medical center’s Emergency Department waiting room. Since installing the Med Safe Take Back bin in the spring of 2016, St. Rita’s has collected more than 6,300 pounds of medication. So far in 2022, more than 325 pounds of medication have been collected.

Items left in the receptacles are kept secure and confidential. You may prefer to remove the label, but it is not required. 

Medication take-back programs provide a disposal option that is safe and environmentally friendly. Unwanted or expired medications should never be flushed down the toilet.

ACCEPTED MEDICATIONS

Accepted medications include vitamins, pills and pet medications.

NOT ACCEPTED

Take back locations cannot accept needles, inhalers, liquids, lotions, aerosols, ointments and creams.