Ahead of ‘National Prescription Drug Take Back Day’ on October 29th, Allegheny Health Network (AHN) officials are reminding residents of Western Pennsylvania about the importance of properly disposing surplus and/or expired medications, as well as ways to do so year-round at locations across the network’s footprint.
The permanent, secure boxes at seven AHN locations enable patients and visitors to quickly and easily dispose of unused prescription medications. *ccepted at the take-back boxes are unused or expired prescription medication (including Schedule II-V controlled substances), unused or expired over-the-counter medications and pet medication. Not accepted* are Schedule I controlled substances, illegal drugs, thermometers, aerosol cans, inhalers, needles, lotions/liquids or hydrogen peroxide.
The Pennsylvania Drug Take Back Program has facilitated the installation of prescription drug take-back boxes in communities throughout the state. Nationally, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) holds “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day” twice per year. The DEA reports thousands of tons of drugs have been collected and properly disposed of through this effort.
As the drug overdose epidemic persists, more than 107,000 deaths were reported in the U.S. between December 2020 to December 2021, according to the CDC. Drug take back programs encourage the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction.
“These programs are critical to putting unused medications out of reach of the wrong hands, and ultimately preventing substance misuse and overdose deaths,” said Laura Mark, MS, PharmD, FASHP, vice president of pharmacy, AHN. “At Allegheny Health Network, we are pleased to provide our patients and the community seven locations at which they can convenient and properly dispose of unused and potentially addictive medications.”
AHN Drug Take-Back Box Locations
- AHN Allegheny General Hospital (Nearby parking services in Snyder Pavilion)
- AHN Jefferson Hospital (Main hospital lobby)
- AHN Forbes Hospital (Nearby Visitor Entrance D)
- AHN West Penn Hospital (Nearby onsite pharmacy, 1st floor)
- AHN Wexford Health + Wellness Pavilion (Nearby onsite pharmacy, 1st floor)
- AHN Saint Vincent Hospital (Main hospital lobby)
- AHN Cancer Institute – Butler (Main lobby)
To locate other drug take-back receptacles throughout Pennsylvania, visit www.ddap.pa.gov/Prevention/pages/drug_take_back.aspx. To learn more about recovery medicine at AHN, visit www.ahn.org/services/medicine/center-for-inclusion-health/addiction-medicine.
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About Allegheny Health Network
Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org) is an integrated health care delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The network is composed of 14 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician organization, home- and community-based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. AHN provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women’s health, diabetes and more. AHN employs approximately 21,000 people, has more than 2,600 physicians on its medical staff, and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
