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FRAMINGHAM – Residents can rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs this Saturday, April 30, when the Framingham Police Department (FPD) and Medical Reserves Corp host Drug Take Back Day, a free and anonymous drive-through service.
The event will be held in the municipal parking lot at 1 William Welch Way from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The program aims to prevent medication abuse and theft by accepting pills, patches, liquids, and ointments for disposal.
No questions will be asked regarding ownership of the items, and participants will be anonymous.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue, according to Kitty Mahoney, Chief Public Health Nurse for the City of Framingham. “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 home medicine cabinets.
Other methods of disposal, such as flushing drugs down the toilet or throwing them in the trash, pose safety and health hazards.
Saturday’s event is part of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, a program of the U.S. Department of Justice.
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In full transparency, above is a press release.
MetroWest Medical Center