National RX Drug Take-Back Day at Kaiser Permanente Panorama City

Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center, in partnership with local law enforcement agencies, is encouraging community members to participate in “National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day” on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The drop-off location is outside Medical Offices 3, where e-waste will also be collected for safe recycling.

Unused or expired medications that are thrown out with trash or flushed can pollute the environment. E-waste is also unsafe for the environment and includes old, broken or unusable electronics – or anything that has a plug or uses batteries. E-waste requires a special recycling process and should never be sent to a landfill due to toxic and hazardous materials that can leach into soil and water.

“Kaiser Permanente is actively involved in the total health of our Southern California community, and we feel it’s our responsibility to spread the word about the importance of responsibly disposing prescription drugs, while raising awareness of the significant harm that comes from abuse of medications, “said Alan Kiyohara, vice president, Pharmacy Operations and Services for Kaiser Permanente Southern California. “Studies have shown that medicines that remain in the home are highly susceptible to misuse.”

These Prescription Drug Take-Back events, which Kaiser Permanente hosts twice yearly, address vital public safety and public health issues while providing residents with a convenient and anonymous way to safely dispose of expired, unwanted, or unused medicines. Panorama City Medical Center collected more than 265 pounds of returned medication during the last Drug Take-Back event in October.

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), more people started down the path of addiction through the misuse of opioid prescription drugs, and each year higher amounts of opioids are being turned in at the Take-Back Day events.

Members of the public who are unable to participate on April 27 can properly dispose of medications at drug disposal kiosks in Kaiser Permanente facilities throughout Southern California.

A listing of additional drop-off locations available for public use can be found on the Drug Enforcement Administration website.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 12.2 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/about.