In an effort to reduce prescription drug misuse and related overdose deaths, community partners will team up with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and with assistance from the St. Johnsbury Police Department and the Caledonia Sheriff, to host a Take-Back Day from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on October 24 at two local sites: the Caledonia County Sheriff Department (970 Memorial Dr., St. Johnsbury) and Kinney Drugs (957 Memorial Dr., St. Johnsbury).

To keep everyone safe, collection sites will follow local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations.

Take-Back Day provides a free, safe and convenient way to dispose of prescription drugs. Individuals may anonymously and safely drop off any unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter medication, as well as pet medication, at the abovementioned locations. Sites cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
"Drug Take-Back day provides an opportunity to dispose of unused and expired prescription drugs. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked." NVRH Prevention Coordinator Cheryl Chandler said. "Please, join us in making our community a safer place for everyone."

Last fall, Americans turned in nearly 883,000 pounds of prescription drugs at nearly 6,300 sites operated by the DEA and almost 5,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has now collected nearly 6,350 tons of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications since the inception of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative in 2010.

In addition to this event, there are permanent drug take-back boxes available year-round for people to dispose of unused prescription drugs at the following locations:
Caledonia County Sheriff's Department – Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Essex County Sheriff's Department – Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Lyndonville Police Department – Tuesday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.; by appointment
NVRH Emergency Room – 24/7
St. Johnsbury Police Department – 24/7
Individuals may also use drug mail-back envelopes, available through the Vermont Department of Health, to responsibly dispose of medications. Illegal drugs, cosmetics, vitamins/supplements, thermometers, aerosol cans, inhalers, needles and lotions/liquids are not accepted at the prescription take-back box locations.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 24 Take-Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com or contact Cheryl Chandler NVRH Prevention Coordinator at c.chandler@nvrh.org. or 802-748-7555.

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital is located in St. Johnsbury in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. We are a community, not-for-profit, acute care, critical access hospital. NVRH is one of two Vermont hospitals designated as a Baby FriendlyTM hospital by the United Nations. The organization provides primary and preventive care, surgical and specialty services, inpatient and outpatient care and 24-hour, physician-staffed emergency services. NVRH serves more than 30,000 people in the Caledonia and Southern Essex Counties in Vermont and employs 600.

About Kinney Drugs: Founded in Gouverneur, NY in 1903, today the independent, employee-owned company operates 96 stores in New York and Vermont. Kinney Drugs is part of the KPH Healthcare Services family of companies, a national provider of pharmaceutical and healthcare services with complementary businesses in both the retail and commercial segments of the industry. KPH is comprised of five divisions: (1) Kinney Drugs, a chain of full-service drug stores throughout New York and Vermont; (2) Health Direct Institutional Pharmacy Services, which serves long-term care and alternative care needs; (3) ProAct, Inc., a pharmacy benefit management company with sales offices throughout the country and a mail-order pharmacy; (4) Noble Health Services, a specialty pharmacy that dispenses medications used to treat complex and chronic diseases; and (5) KinnectTM, an on-site clinical care pharmacy. KPH Healthcare Services is a 100% employee-owned company with more than 4,000 employees that provides the highest quality pharmacy and healthcare services. Every aspect of KPH's business is guided by the values of excellence, moral responsibility, and community spirit.