News & Updates

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, September 26, 2015

September 25, 2015 General

The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD), a public agency that supports various health-related community programs and services in San Diego’s East County region, is supporting the 10th annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., local East County residents are invited to return their unwanted, unneeded or expired prescription drugs for safe disposal.

There are several East County locations where local residents can drop off unused prescription drugs. They include the following locations:

— San Diego County Sheriff’s Station, 2751 Alpine Blvd., Alpine
— San Diego County Sheriff’s Station, 3240 Main Street, Lemon Grove
— San Diego County Sheriff’s Station, Rancho San Diego, 11486 Campo Road, Spring Valley
— El Cajon Police Department, 100 Civic Center Way, El Cajon
— La Mesa Police Department, 8085 University Ave., La Mesa
— Sycuan Tribal Police Station, 5522 Sycuan Road, El Cajon
— Walgreens parking lot, 9728 Winter Gardens Blvd., Lakeside
— Walgreens parking lot, 10512 Mission Gorge Road, Santee.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that many abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away — both potential safety and health hazards.

In previous Take-Back events nationwide, from 2010 to 2014, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency said 2,411 tons of drugs were collected.