Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Sponsors Drug Take-Back Days in April

(3BL Media) Kailua-Kona, Hawaii - March 27, 2012 - Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, in partnership with the state of Hawaii Narcotics Enforcement Division and Attorney General’s Office, announces drug take-back days taking place in April at Kaiser Permanente clinics on the Big Island. The drug take-back days offer the community the opportunity to properly dispose of medications that are either expired or not being used in an effort to prevent prescription drug abuse or improper disposal.

The “2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings” by the Department of Health and Human Services found that unused medication in the household may contribute to growing rates of prescription drug abuse among Americans, particularly teenagers. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, many teens erroneously believe that it is safer to use prescription drugs than street drugs, and they report that these drugs are easier to obtain than street drugs. This behavior poses a serious public health problem and is contributing to the steady uptick in poison-related deaths in the United States.

Improper disposal of unwanted medications also has environmental consequences. In the absence of prescription drug waste-collection programs, unwanted prescription drugs are flushed down toilets or disposed of in the trash. There is concern that these practices contribute to the contamination of surface waters, ground waters and biosolids. The presence of pharmaceuticals has been linked to abnormalities and impaired reproductive performance in some aquatic species.

Drug-take back days, time and Kaiser Permanente clinic locales on the Big Island are:

April 25

• 9 a.m.–noon
• Kona Clinic

April 25

• 1–4 p.m.
• South Kona Clinic

April 26

• 9 a.m.–noon
• Waimea Clinic

April 26

• 1–4 p.m.
• Hilo Clinic

About Kaiser Permanente Hawaii
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has provided total health to the people of Hawaii for more than 50 years. Care for members is focused on their total health being guided by their personal physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Expert care and medical teams are supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Its physicians are members of the Hawaii Permanente Medical Group, the largest multi-specialty physician group practice in the state of Hawaii. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. Visit kp.org for additional information.