Baptist Health Corbin collects unused medicine to help curb drug abuse

You had a bad toothache or surgery and the doctor prescribed you some pills for the pain. Fortunately, you didn’t need all of the pills or hopefully none of them.

Then you have the issue of what to do with your leftover pain pills, because studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs come from family and friends, including those from home medicine cabinets.

“Up to 80 percent of patients have leftover opioids after elective surgery. It is important to dispose of all unused, expired or unwanted prescription drugs so they don’t get into the wrong hands. Drug abuse is a very real problem in our area and we want to do everything we can to help eliminate this temptation,” said Baptist Health Corbin Pharmacist Lynn McArthur.

On Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., local residents will have the chance to get rid of these medicines for free, and prevent pill abuse and theft, thanks to a joint effort between Baptist Health Corbin Pharmacy and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The Baptist Health Corbin Pharmacy, which is located at 1 Trillium Way, also has a secure disposal container available year-round, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sites cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

The Take Back Day is an effort backed by the federal DEA to collect expired, unwanted and unused prescription medications. For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the Oct. 29 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com or call Baptist Health Corbin Pharmacy at (606) 526-8335.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 91,799 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2020, a 30 percent increase from 2019, which began accelerating in March 2020. The increase in drug overdose deaths appeared to begin prior to the COVID-19 health emergency, but accelerated significantly during the first months of the pandemic.

Baptist Health Corbin is a 273-bed, acute care facility providing a wide variety of healthcare services to the residents of Whitley, Knox, Laurel, Bell, Clay, McCreary, Harlan and Campbell County in Tennessee.