Drug Take Back Day in Baldwin Park is Sept. 26

Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center and the Baldwin Park Police Department are giving the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted medications. On September 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., bring your medications for disposal to Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center, 1011 Baldwin Park Blvd., Baldwin Park, CA 91706. A drive-thru service near the patient drop-off at the medical center entrance provides convenient access for residents to safely and easily dispose of expired, unwanted, or unused medicines. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Items that will be accepted include controlled substances and non-controlled substances/prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and veterinary medications (pills and solids only).

“We are eager to partner with the Baldwin Park Police Department to provide this opportunity for members of the community to safely dispose of unwanted medications,” says Terry Hustana, Area Pharmacy Director, Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center. “At last year’s event, we collected 560 pounds of medications that that would normally end up in a land fill, in our water systems, or in other people’s hands. This is a much-needed service that I encourage everyone to take advantage of.”

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisoning and overdoses due to these drugs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 44 people die from drug overdoses involving prescription painkillers every day in the United States. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.