Memorial Behavioral Health (MBH)-Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Police Department (JPD) are partnering to sponsor a Prescription Drug Take-Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, at the JPD, 200 W. Douglas. 

The Prescription Drug Take-Back Day provides a safe, convenient and anonymous means of disposing of unused or expired prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse and medications. As part of the event, staff from MBH will provide information on opioid abuse, how to safely discard medications, how to keep medications secure at home and other referral sources.

Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, often leading to accidental poisoning, overdose and abuse. Prescription medications can be as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription. The non-medical use of prescription drugs ranks second only to marijuana as the most common form of drug abuse in the United States.

In addition, unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold. Unused drugs that flushed contaminate the water supply.

The prescription drugs collected by the JPD will be disposed of by high temperature incineration at a secure, permitted facility.

MBH-Jacksonville received a Substance Abuse Prevention Services grant to help sponsor the event.