The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is hosting their annual Take Back event on Saturday, April 28, but you don’t have to wait for such an event to properly dispose of any unused or unfinished medications. Any time you have leftover medications, consider dropping them into a medication disposal box on or near campus (see locations below).
Why is this important to do? Certain medications have a high proclivity for abuse, including ones associated with pain management, attention/hyperactivity, anxiety, and sleep, among others. They should be monitored carefully by a prescribing physician.
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Unnecessarily storing medications that can be abused can prove to be risky for children, adolescents, and young adults living in the home. Medications can also be stolen by visitors or people who otherwise come into the residence.
In a world where there is now a medication for everything, it can be easy to gloss over the dangers of prescribed medications. Saving medications for a future medical issue is a misuse of them, as prescribed medications should only be used under a physician’s orders, with a particular method and purpose. Physicians monitor for dosage effects, interaction with other medications and medical conditions, and more.
For the same reason, medications should never be given to others. Not only are there medical risks that can occur, including addiction, but it is also a felony to distribute prescription drugs without a license or for someone to be in possession of them without a prescription.
Medication disposal boxes are located at the following locations on or near campus:
ISU Police Department (24 hours)
105 Nelson Smith Building
Health Services Pharmacy
293 Student Services Building
Normal Police Department (24 hours)
100 E. Phoenix Avenue
