Safely dispose of unneeded prescription drugs on April 30
Sat., Apr. 30, 2022, is a National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. We’re proud to join thousands of sites across the country once again as a take back site. We welcome your patients and all members of our community to stop by between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. to drop off their expired, unwanted or unneeded prescription medications for safe disposal.
Our drop off location:
Priority Health
3111 Leonard St NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Last year, we collected 744 pounds of medication at our Grand Rapids sites during the April and October take back events.
Why hold Take Back events?
Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue and can lead to accidental poisoning, overdose and abuse. Pharmaceutical drugs can be dangerous when taken without a prescription or a provider’s supervision.
Unused drugs that are thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused by someone else. When flushed down the toilet, they contaminate our water supply.
The non-medical use of prescription drugs is the second most-common form of drug abuse in the United States.1 In Kent County, Michigan, the data from 2020-2021show that 81% of overdose deaths included opioids, with 89% of those deaths including fentanyl.2
Take Back programs offer a safe way to dispose of unused drugs.
Have patients affected by substance use conditions?
Contact our care coordination team
Our behavioral health department has clinical staff who specialize in helping members manage complex and chronic mental health and substance use conditions. Our care coordination team is available to support you as you help your patients get the outpatient care they need or successfully transition from a hospital setting back into the community.
Encourage your patients to log into myStrength
myStrength is a digital tool that offers over 1,400 self-directed activities on a variety of mental wellness topics including alcohol and drug recovery as well as opioid recovery. These tools are available to our members 24/7 and complement the care you provide them to create real, lasting change. Encourage your patients to sign up for a free account today.
1dea.gov/takebackday
2Kent County Health Department, Opioid Surveillance, February 2022. See Kent County Opioid Task Force for more info.