Forsyth Residents Give Back 71 Pounds of Prescription Drugs

On April 26, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of CVS Pharmacy, participated in the 8th National Prescription Take Back Initiative.

The sheriff's office recovered 71 pounds of expired, outdated or unused prescription medications from Forsyth County residents during the event.

This number was in addition to the department's Prescription Drug Locker that is located at the South Precinct. The locker is for the disposal of prescription medications and can be accessed Monday thru Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. 

The South Precinct is located at 2985 Ronald Reagan Boulevard.  

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. 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 a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

In addition, 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.