Inmar Intelligence, an experienced drug stewardship operator and leader in pharmaceutical reverse distribution, today announced it will host its sixth Consumer Drug Take-Back Event as part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Now in its 13th year, this initiative provides a safe, convenient and responsible means to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs and educates the general public about the dangers of keeping unwanted prescription drugs in the home, including the potential for abuse and misuse.
The drive-thru event will occur Saturday, April 22nd in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Forsyth County Sheriff's Department and Novant Health, a leading healthcare provider in North Carolina. Between 10:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M., residents can conveniently drive through the Bolton Elementary School parking lot located at 1250 Bolton St, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27103, to drop off unused and expired medications for safe and secure disposal.
“We are beyond excited for our sixth event in our home town of Winston-Salem. The support and participation we’ve received in our earlier drug take-back events has been phenomenal, and we’re so grateful to be able to make an impact in furthering the health and safety of our community,” said Ashley Schmidt, Vice President of Regulatory and Compliance at Inmar Intelligence. “Removing expired and unused medications from households in a safe and responsible way is vital in preventing drug abuse, child poisonings, water contamination issues, and more. National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is a great reminder for people to check their homes for medications that need to be disposed of and an important moment to educate the public about drug take-back resources available to them year-round.”
Despite the ongoing prevalence of drug-related deaths year over year, old or unused prescriptions still often fail to find their way to a secure drug take-back location. In fact, Inmar Intelligence’s 2023 National Survey on Consumer Drug Take-Back Awareness revealed that 76 percent of respondents currently have leftover, unused, expired or unwanted medications in their homes, and 32 percent of those respondents reported keeping said medications because they don’t know how to dispose of them properly.
“Novant Health is excited to partner with Inmar Intelligence to provide our patients and community with this safe, convenient medication disposal opportunity. We hope to continue this inaugural partnership to provide similar events in the future,” said Sacha Pollard Deloney, System Director of Pharmacy. “According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health 9.3 million people over age 12 reported misusing a prescription pain reliever in the prior year, with just under half of these respondents reporting they received the medication from a friend or relative. Novant Health recognizes the risk unwanted medications pose to the community and offers permanent medication disposal receptacles in each of our medical centers. Check the DEA’s Public Disposal Locator tool to find the location nearest you.”
Consumer Drug Take Back Day makes it easy to safely dispose of unused or expired medications. After a quick review of their medicine cabinet to collect unwanted medications, community members can simply drive to the drop off location where they can dispose of their medications without having to leave the car.
Inmar Intelligence has collected more than 1,400 pounds of unused and expired medications from the previous five events, and the company’s nationwide drug take-back program that operates throughout the year has collected more than one million pounds of unused medications through its more than 6,000 take-back locations.
For more information about Inmar’s Solutions for Healthcare, please visit inmar.com.