Got Medication to Dispose of? Free Drive-Thru Event on Saturday, July 21st Drug Take Back Event and Comprehensive Pain Management Fair

This event will be held in the parking lot located at 17th Street and Western Avenue. This DRIVE-THRU event will provide community members with an opportunity to bring in unneeded, unwanted, or expired medication for safe disposal, free of charge. All medications collected will be properly disposed of by the Topeka Police Department. Items ACCEPTED at this event include: Prescription and the over-the-counter medications (i.e. tablets, capsules, and patches), including pet medicines.

Items NOT accepted at this event include: Needles and sharps, liquids, pressurized containers / inhalers, and illicit substances.

It is estimated that more than 40% of prescription drugs dispensed in the U.S. are unused. It is necessary to dispose of unneeded and unwanted medications properly to prevent accidental ingestion, substance misuse and abuse, illegal drug diversion, and unintended poisoning.

According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 6.2 million Americans reported misusing prescription medications at least one time in the past month. Using prescription drugs improperly can be just as dangerous as using illegal drugs, as fatality can occur with just one dose in some instances. Drug Take Back events play an important role in preventing misuse and abuse of medications, by reducing access to them. For more information regarding safe medication disposal, please visit the FDA’s website: https://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm101653.htm.

The Collaborative is also hosting the inaugural Comprehensive Pain Management Fair from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Capitol Plaza Convention Center. This event is free, and will take place in the Shawnee Ballroom at the Maner Conference Center. The goal of the Comprehensive Pain Management Fair is to provide community members with resources regarding pain management modalities, prescription drug safety education, and prescription drug misuse and abuse prevention.

More than 40 vendors will be offering education and resources related to strategies for pain management, medication safety, addictions treatment, and poisoning prevention.

The following agencies are sponsoring the Drug Take Back Day and Comprehensive Pain Management Fair: CKF Addiction Treatment, DCCCA, Family Service and Guidance Center, GraceMed Health Clinic, Inc., Kansas Foundation for Medical Care, Great Plains Quality Innovation Network, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Family Partnership, Inc., Shawnee County Health Department, The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus, Valeo Behavioral Health Care, and VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System.

The following organizations are also helping to support this event: Washburn University School of Nursing, Shawnee County Health Department’s Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), Genoa, a Qol Healthcare Company, Topeka Police Department, Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office, Shawnee County Solid Waste, and Kansas Expocentre.

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NOTE: A follow up release will be shared four days prior to the events with specific directions on how to access each event.