Expired/Unused Drugs Being Collected
NEW ORLEANS – Many homes in South Louisiana have medicine cabinets stocked with expired or unused medications. Ochsner Health System is providing a safe way to dispose of those unneeded medications by hosting a Take Back Initiative on Saturday, April 28th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. All controlled, uncontrolled and over-the-counter medications will be collected and appropriately disposed of. Syringes and injectables will not be accepted.
The National Take Back Initiative was started by the DEA in September of 2010 in response to the increasing rate of prescription medication abuse in America. According to the Partnership for a Drug Free America, approximately 2,500 teenagers abuse these medications daily. The goal of the Take Back Initiative is to remove these substances from homes where they are easily accessible. The first Take Back Initiative resulted in 121 tons of pills being collected by nearly 3,000 state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the country.
“Ochsner has teamed up with local law enforcement to safely offer these drop off locations,” says Andy Boothe, Ochsner Medical Center – Baton Rouge Pharmacy Director. “We encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity and remind everyone that the program is anonymous with no questions asked at the time of drop off.” Boothe says most medications do have an expiration date after which they should no longer be used. Even everyday items such as cough syrups have a shelf life and should be disposed of properly.
The following Ochsner locations will host a Take Back Initiative:
Ochsner Medical Center
Front of Hospital on Jefferson Highway
1516 Jefferson Highway
New Orleans, LA 70121
Ochsner Medical Center - Kenner
In front of the Emergency Room Main Entrance
180 W. Esplanade Ave
Kenner, LA 70065
504-464-8043
Ochsner St. Anne General Hospital
At front entrance to hospital
4608 Hwy. 1
Raceland, LA 70394
985-537-8353
Ochsner Baptist Medical Center
At the corner of Napoleon Ave. and Magnolia St. (driveway under the building)
2626 Napoleon Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70115
504-897-4220
Ochsner Medical Center - West Bank Campus
By the front entrance of the hospital
2500 Belle Chasse Hwy.
Gretna, LA 70056
504-392-3131
Anyone wishing to dispose of their medications can simply drop them off at the above location. Everyone is encouraged to remove any identifying information from medication bottles before disposing of them.
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Ochsner Health System is southeast Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system with eight hospitals and over 38 health centers in Louisiana. Ochsner has been named the Consumer Choice for Healthcare in New Orleans for 16 consecutive years and is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a “Best Hospital” across seven specialty categories. Ochsner employs more than 13,000 employees, over 850 physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts over 300 clinical research trials annually. Ochsner Health System is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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