Staff from Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health and the Bismarck Police Department will host a drug take-back event Wednesday, October 28, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the AgeWell Center, 315 N. 20th St. in Bismarck, the City of Bismarck said.
The city said the event will give residents a way to dispose of unused or unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications and is intended to help prevent drug diversion and misuse and protect the environment.
The city said accepted items include unused or expired medications, pills, tablets and caplets, inhalers, nebulizer solutions, liquids, creams and controlled substances. Pills, tablets and caplets should be removed from packaging, while inhalers, liquids and creams should be left in their original containers, according to the release.
The city said sharps such as syringes and lancets, thermometers, glass, home-based care or durable medical equipment supplies, pharmacy inventory and cancer medications will not be accepted. Residents are encouraged to ask pharmacists where to safely dispose of those items, according to the release.
Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health substance abuse prevention coordinator Susan Kahler said in the release that unused medications pose a public health and safety concern and that the event offers residents a convenient way to dispose of them. Bismarck Police Officer Caity Horne said in the release that access to unused medications is a risk factor for prescription opioid abuse and addiction.
The city said North Dakota has free medication disposal through the Take Back program at participating law enforcement agencies and the MedSafe program at participating pharmacies. The release directs residents seeking permanent Take Back locations to the North Dakota Attorney General’s website.
