Prisma Health participating in DEA Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, April 24

Program encourages safe disposal of unused prescription drugs to prevent misuse

GREENVILLE, SC—Prisma Health is participating in the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) 20th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, on Saturday, April 24, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Hosted twice annually, the initiative aims to provide safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs.

The service is free and anonymous. No sharps or syringes will be accepted, and all locations for the special event will have security officers assisting. Collection sites will adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols.

As part of the Midlands Regional Trauma Advisory Committee and a Level One Trauma Center, Prisma Health Richland Hospital provides community education and outreach. “At the Prisma Health Richland Trauma Center, we strive to educate and inform the community about the potential for abuse and harm of prescription pain relievers. The national opioid crisis continues to claim countless lives, but through our collaborative efforts with local hospitals and EMS agencies, we are excited to do our part by being a collection site for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day,” said pharmacist Nicole Bookstaver, PharmD, with Prisma Health Pharmacy Services. “It is imperative that unused prescription drugs are not getting into the wrong hands for recreational use.”

Prisma Health Greenville Memorial also provides community education and outreach as a Level One trauma center. Some of the Upstate hospitals have locked prescription drop boxes available at all times.

Prisma Health Hospitals participating in Drug Take Back Day, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturday, April 24, include:

Midlands hospitals:

• Prisma Health Richland Hospital
  • Collection station in front of 9 Medical Park main entrance

Upstate hospitals:

• Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital
  • In front of the main entrance (Take Back Bin is next to Upstate Pharmacy on 1st floor)
• Prisma Health Greer Memorial Hospital
  • In front of main entrance (Take Back Bin is inside the Main Entrance)
• Prisma Health Hillcrest Memorial Hospital
  • In front of ER entrance (Take Back Bin is outside next to ER Entrance)
• Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital
  • In front of ER entrance (Take Back Bin is outside next to ER Entrance)

Last April, Americans turned in almost 1 million pounds of prescription drugs at over 4,580 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners. This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. DEA encourages families to turn in medicines because:

• Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.
• 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. 
• Studies show that many abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
• Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

About Prisma Health

Prisma Health is a not-for-profit health company and the largest healthcare system in South Carolina. With nearly 30,000 team members, 18 hospitals, 2,947 beds and more than 300 physician practice sites, Prisma Health serves more than 1.2 million unique patients annually. Its goal is to improve the health of all South Carolinians by enhancing clinical quality, the patient experience and access to affordable care, as well as conducting clinical research and training the next generation of medical professionals. For more information, visit PrismaHealth.org.