Public Health

National Drug Take Back Day Saturday October 27th, 2018

On Saturday October 27th, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Framingham Police Department in concert with the Framingham Medical Reserve Corps will give the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.  Bring your pills, patches, liquids or ointments for disposal to 1 William Welch Way (inside the police Department lobby).  The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.  Medicines that remain unused in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.  Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.