Drug Take-Back In Mooresville: How To Get Rid Of Old Prescription

MOORESVILLE, NC — Area residents seeking a safe way to get rid of old or near-empty bottles of prescription medication will soon have an opportunity to do just that.

Mooresville Public Library and the Drug-Alcohol Coalition of Iredell are hosting a medication take back event Wednesday, March 17 at the library from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m.

The drive-thru event will also offer collections of sharps, such as used and unused needles, syringes, lancets and EpiPens; car seat checks, Narcan distribution and a medication lock box giveaway.

In 2018, opioids were involved in 67,367 overdose deaths, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet, the Drug Enforcement Administration said.

Other methods of disposal — throwing unused drugs out with the trash or flushing them down the toilet — can cause environmental damage, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

But it's not just opioids that pose dangers. Expired prescription drugs can be less effective or risky due to changes over time in chemical composition. Some expired medications are at risk of bacterial growth, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Expired antibiotics may not treat infections, leading to more serious illnesses and antibiotic resistance, the DEA said.

More information about the Keep Iredell Safe medication take back event in Mooresville may be found here.

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