Prescription Drug Drop Off

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- You open your medicine cabinet to unused and expired medications. You need to get rid of them, but you’re not quite sure the safest way to do so. Several local law enforcement and health agencies hosted a drug take back to get rid of them for you.

Muskingum Behavioral Health, the DEA, and other local law and health agencies set up a drive-thru drug drop off at the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department. Residents were able to easily dispose of unused medications that could cause problems in the community.

“There’s a couple reasons why we do it,” said Steve Carrel, the CEO of Muskingum Behavioral Health. “One is to get narcotics out of people’s medicine cabinets and disposed of properly so that they’re not stolen or diverted because, you know, people can overdose on those.”

Carrel said residents can also drop off other items such as supplements, cough syrup, vitamins, and more.

“We also take sharps, needles, diabetic supplies. Again, so that people will not steal them, use them, or re-use them.”

Since 2010, the agencies have worked together to collect the prescription drugs. The drop off usually takes place a couple of times a year with many people coming out and lots of pills collected.

“So far we’ve had close to 60 cars in the first hour which is really good,” Carrel shared. “Last April, we had the biggest take back day. We had 151 cars and 140 pounds of pills.”

The process is so quick residents don’t even have to leave their vehicles. The crew inside does all the work, including protecting the owner’s privacy. E.J. Stoepfel an Assistant Director at Northside Pharmacies helped sort through the medications.

“Well we do have to remove personal information off. So that’s part of the process. So if there’s any names or anything like that we’re removing it so that we can incinerate that and protect the patient’s privacy.”

Residents can drop off any drugs as long as they are not illegal. If you wanted to drop something off, but didn’t get a chance, Carrel says there are other options available.

“If anybody has medications that they can’t…that they didn’t make the day, at the Sheriff’s Department, the jail on 4th Street, in the lobby there’s a locked safe with a drop in it and they can 24 hours 7 days a week, can stop there go in and dispose of medications.”

Other agencies in attendance include Genesis Healthcare System, the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office, and Northside Pharmacies.