HCA Florida Brandon Hospital Teams Up With DEA For Drug Take-Back Day

BRANDON, FL — HCA Florida Brandon Hospital along with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Drug Enforcement Administration will host a DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid misuse and the importance of safe and proper disposal of unused or expired medications.

The event will take place on Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital’s Brandon Medical Plaza, 425 S. Parsons Ave., Brandon.

“Collaborative teamwork attributes to the success of drug collection within the Brandon community,” said Bernadette Brown, director of Pharmacy Services at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital. “It keeps our community safe as we address the threat of opioid misuse alongside the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.”

Law enforcement officers will collect tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage. Syringes, sharps and illicit drugs will not be collected at the event.

For more than a decade, the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative has offered community members a free and anonymous was to easily rid their homes of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted or expired—that too often become a gateway to addiction.

In partnership with local law enforcement, HCA Florida Brandon Hospital helped collect more than 650 pounds of medication from circulation in 2022.

For more information, visit www.DEATakeBack.com.

This press release was produced by HCA. The views expressed here are the author's own.