Inmar Intelligence, the leader in consumer drug take-back and pharmaceutical reverse distribution, hosted its 7th Semi-Annual Drug Take-Back Day on October 23, 2023, providing the Winston-Salem community with a safe and eco-friendly disposal solution for unused medications. This effort was held in collaboration with Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and Novant Health.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office played an integral role, with deputies staffing the collection site and interfacing with the 174 event attendees. The Sheriff’s Office provided critical support to promote proper drug disposal and prevent prescription misuse and their participation helped drive a record collection of 783.5 pounds of unused medications including 39 pounds from an internal event at the Inmar Intelligence headquarters and 103 pounds from a local event at the Clemmons Public Works Facility in Clemmons, NC.
Inmar Intelligence’s Consumer Drug Take-Back Day supports the Sheriff’s Office’s community outreach programs aimed at fighting the opioid crisis and safeguarding public health. "The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is committed to continuing to work with Inmar, Novant, and other community partners in their Drug Take Back events,” said Corporal A.R. Molina, “These events aid in reducing the prescription drug abuse epidemic in our community by preventing misuse, poisoning, and overdoses, which helps safeguard our communities."
Inmar currently manages more than 8,000 drug take-back locations nationwide. This broad footprint represents Inmar's leadership in implementing drug take-back programs and enabling Americans to easily dispose of unused medications in an environmentally responsible manner. Since 2017, Inmar's program has collected an astounding 1.9 million pounds of medications across the country.
The abuse of prescription opioids has reached epidemic levels in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 100,000 Americans lost their lives last year due to overdosing on prescription pain medications and illicit opioids. The rates of prescription drug misuse and accidental overdoses due to these substances are alarmingly high across the nation. Many expired or unused medications fail to be disposed of properly.
To combat this public health crisis locally, Inmar Intelligence has organized and run the DEA-compliant Drug Take-Back Day twice a year for the past 4 years as part of its commitment to environmental stewardship and safety. Proper disposal protects the public from misuse and helps keep pharmaceutical contaminants out of landfills and waterways.
"Inmar is honored to host this event each year, providing the Winston-Salem community with an easy way to remove unused drugs from their homes," said Ashley Schmidt, Vice President, Regulatory and Compliance at Inmar. "We are grateful to the Sheriff's Office and all our partners for their support in making drug take-back a continued success."