Most people give little thought to leftover prescription drugs in their medicine
cabinets. But out-of-date prescriptions pose a danger to consumers if they’re
taken accidentally or fall
into the hands of children or people who abuse them.
into the hands of children or people who abuse them.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy issued a
report in 2007 showing Arkansas has the worst teen prescription pain reliever
abuse problem in the United States. By the time Arkansas students
have
reached their senior year of high school, 20 percent have abused prescription drugs.
reached their senior year of high school, 20 percent have abused prescription drugs.
Attorney General Dustin McDaniel issued a consumer alert today urging Arkansans to do an inventory of prescription drugs in their homes.
“We all need to take the time to get rid of our unused
medicine,” McDaniel said. “We must, however, dispose of these potentially
harmful substances properly. We can’t simply toss them in with other household
garbage or flush pills down the toilet because of the harmful effect they’ll
have on our waterways.”
Instead, to safely dispose of prescription drugs, deliver them to law authorities at permanent disposal sites or at special events such as the April 28th Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which is offering disposal sites in communities across the state. A complete list of collection sites for the 2012 Take-Back Day as well as permanent, year-round collection sites is available at www.artakeback.org.
You may also call your local sheriff's office or police department for assistance with disposal if you’re are unable to deliver the drugs to a collection site.
Here are a few more prescription drug tips from the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division:
Purchasing prescription drugs online:
Before you purchase medications from an online pharmacy, you should confirm that the pharmacy is licensed to do business in Arkansas. You can contact the State Board of Pharmacy at (501) 682-0190 if you have any questions about the licensing.
Buying Generic prescription drugs:
Always ask the pharmacy if the prescription that you need to fill comes in a
generic form. Most of the prescription drugs do and the cost can be
significantly lower.
Prescription Assistance Programs:
There are programs in the State of Arkansas that offer assistance in registering
for low cost or no cost prescription programs. Here are just a few:
For more information about consumer-related issues, or
to file complaint, visit GotYourBackArkansas.org or call the Consumer Protection
Division’s
hotline at (800) 482-8982.
hotline at (800) 482-8982.
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