Get rid of expired prescription drugs the right way

To strengthen efforts to prevent prescription drug abuse among the youth, federal and local agencies are teaming up to support the National Take Back Initiative and the Red Ribbon Campaign this month.

U.S. Attorney for the Guam and CNMI Districts Alicia A.G. Limtiaco said in a news briefing yesterday that that they will hold the second National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Oct. 29, from 10am to 2pm at the Horiguchi Building parking lot in Garapan.

A similar event will also be held on Tinian and Rota at their respective health centers.

The event, which is part of the National Take Back Initiative, aims to provide a location where people can bring their unused or expired prescription drugs for proper disposal.

“We ask everyone to go in their medicine cabinets and pull out expired, unwanted or unneeded prescription drugs so that children don’t get access to them,” said Drug Enforcement Agency agent-in-charge Mike Puralewski, who also noted that proper disposal of drugs entails more than just “flushing” them down the drain.

According to Puralewski, any child’s parents and other relatives “may be their child’s drug dealer by not securing those dangerous items.”

Anthony Raho, director of pharmacy at the Commonwealth Health Center, reinforced the growing health concerns on prescription medication abuse and its dangers to children and the rest of the community.

“We’d like to make the community aware of this concern,” said Raho, adding that even medications in patch forms still pose potential risks to any child or adult who comes in contact with it since they also contain active drugs.

Puralewski emphasized that the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event is anonymous.

“All you have to do is bring the prescription bottle over to the collection location. Nobody is going to ask you any questions. No questions asked at all,” he said.

Puralewski said the first National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, held last April 30, amassed “well over 100 lbs” of unused or expired prescription drugs in the Commonwealth. “It was a very successful program,” he added.

Limtiaco also advised the community of steps that will stop prescription drug abuse, including removing these prescription drugs from medicine cabinets “and locking them if necessary” as well as taking inventory of all medications in the house “and taking note if anything has been missing.”

If your child has been prescribed by the doctor with medications, Limtiaco said that parents should monitor refills and dosages and should “set clear rules” like not sharing, selling, or handing them to anyone.

Limtiaco also underscored the importance of warning one’s children and family members about the dangers of taking prescription medication.

“We encourage parents to be responsible in terms of making sure that all prescription drugs are put in a safe place and if they’re not in use or not needed anymore, they should be disposed of properly to protect our children from accessing these drugs which may lead to them being harmed,” said Public Safety Commissioner Ray Mafnas.

Limtiaco said that from Oct. 23 to 31, the CNMI will also participate in the Red Ribbon Campaign, the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the U.S.

The campaign commemorates DEA special agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena who died in 1985 while doing undercover work investigating a major drug cartel in Mexico.

This year’s theme is “It’s up to me to be drug-free.”

“It speaks to the community’s need to work together to prevent drug abuse and most especially drug abuse amongst our youth,” said Limtiaco.

Limtiaco said they are looking at conducting drug prevention presentations in CNMI schools.