As part of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 26, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration will collect and dispose of unwanted prescription medications at Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Oakland and Richmond, and medical offices in Pinole.
Collection will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
At Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center, collection will be held in front of the Fabiola Building, 3801 Howe Street, Oakland.
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At Richmond Medical Center, collection will be held at at the parking lot across the street from the main hospital entrance, 901 Nevin Avenue, Richmond.
In Pinole, collection will be held at the parking lot in front of the main entrance of Kaiser Permanente Pinole Medical Offices, 1301 Pinole Valley Road, Pinole.
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A number of Kaiser Permanente hospitals in the East Bay and Bay Area are participating in the free collection and disposal, a partnership with the DEA and local police agencies.
Medication that is improperly taken or abused is the leading cause of accidental poisoning, DEA officials said. And unused or expired medications that are thrown out with the trash or flushed can end up polluting the environment.
The Saturday collection is free, fast and easy, a responsible way to dispose of unused or expired medications for disposal.
For more information about “National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day” or for a list of additional collection sites, please visit www.dea.gov. Information about medication safety is also available on the DEA website or at kp.org.
Last April, Americans turned in 371 tons (over 742,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at over 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners.