Expired/Unused Drugs Being Collected
NEW ORLEANS – With cold and flu season quickly approaching, now is the time to clean out overstocked medicine cabinets containing expired or unused medications. Ochsner Health System is providing a safe way to that by hosting a Take Back Initiative on Saturday, September 29th 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.
Ochsner Health System offers this service twice a year in partnership with local law enforcement officials. The program is anonymous and no questions will be asked of those dropping off medications.
The fall is a perfect time to clean out and organize the family medicine cabinet in order to be prepared for this winter’s illnesses. Even common medications such as cough syrups have a shelf life and should be disposed of properly. Many people think the proper method of disposing of medications is to simply flush them down the toilet. However, studies have shown that flushed drugs can eventually end up in the public water system. Proper disposal, such as dropping medications off at a Take Back site, can help ensure that drinking water remains clean for area families.
Anyone wishing to dispose of their medications can simply drop them off at the following locations:
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Ochsner Medical Center - Kenner
In front of the Emergency Room Main Entrance
180 W. Esplanade Ave
Kenner, LA 70065
504-464-8043
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Ochsner Medical Center - West Bank Campus
By the front entrance of the hospital
2500 Belle Chasse Hwy.
Gretna, LA 70056
504-392-3131
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Ochsner Medical Center
Front of Hospital on Jefferson Highway
1516 Jefferson Highway
New Orleans, LA 70121
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 11 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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