COLUMBIA, SC (WBTW) – Agencies across the state are encouraging you to double check your medicine cabinets in light of National Prescription Take Back Day Saturday.
A South Carolina recovery center insists small initiatives like this push to collect unused pills can help make big changes.
“A lot of times they may throw several medications together not knowing what happens when you mix those two and next thing you know, instead of adding to the effect, what they’re doing is multiplying the effects. So you can go from ‘I’m just trying to have fun and get high’ and go very quickly to a dangerous overdose situation,” said Bryan Fox, manager at Palmetto Health Adolescent Recovery Center.
Pharmacists say the opioid problem is growing because the opportunity is there and getting the prescriptions is easy.
“It’s just really one of those things that you might just keep it around for one of those days and really that’s dangerous because if it’s accessible, there’s a risk there, because someone who shouldn’t have will get a hold of it whether intentional or accidental,” said Amanda Guffey, Clinical pharmacist at Providence Health.
“Just throwing them in the trash doesn’t necessarily get them out of the hands of those who may misuse them. And the unfortunate side of that is someone unintentionally [like] a small child gets a hold of them and ends up having a very dangerous situation,” said Fox.
The Drug Enforcement Agency has been holding these national drug take backs since 2010.
