Community Health Entities Encourage Disposal of Unused or Expired Prescriptions
April 20, 2023
In 2022, Huron Regional Medical Center (HRMC) established a pain management task force involving members of local care teams and a variety of community partners. The goal of the task force is to connect patients with local pain relief services without the use of potentially addictive narcotic medications.
Partners on the pain task force from HRMC, Carr Chiropractic Clinic, Huron Clinic, James Valley Community Health Center, Quick Care, Community Counseling Services, Schroder Chiropractic, Lewis and more are in support of the Huron Police Department’s participation in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 22.
The community is encouraged to dispose of unused or expired medications in pill or patch form in the drop box at City Hall, located at 239 Wisconsin Avenue SW. The drop box is anonymous and open to the public year-round, just inside the east entrance of City Hall. Liquids, sharps or needles are not accepted.
Earl Hinricher, R.Ph., director of pharmacy at Huron Regional Medical Center, indicated that while some retail pharmacies accept unused or expired prescriptions regularly, the special recognition of the day in April provides awareness and helps people to dispose of potentially harmful drugs. “Encouraging people to dispose of expired or unused prescription drugs through this program is an effort to reduce the opportunity for someone to misuse medication, which can lead to accidental overdose or addiction,” says Hinricher.
In addition to ensuring that addictive narcotic medications are only used as necessary and prescribed, the pain management task force is focusing on alternative pain interventions to offer relief without surgery or opioid medications, all without leaving town. A combination of care such as physical therapy, chiropractic care, steroid injections and even counseling can be utilized to restore mobility and reduce pain.
Wayne Carr, CCSP, ACRB, AFMCP, AC, chiropractic and functional medicine practitioner at Carr Chiropractic Clinic is an active member of the pain task force and supports awareness and safety surrounding opioids, including participation in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. “We want our community to be happy and healthy, and part of that is keeping them safe from the harmful effects of opioids,” says Carr.
To learn more about opioids and safe medication disposal, visit avoidopioidsd.com or call 1-800-920-4343. To read more about local resources for pain, visit huronregional.org/pain.
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