A Safe Alternative for Medication Disposal

A major drug problem in the United States is not on the streets – it is in your home. To help keep your family protected it is important to safely dispose of unused and expired medications. Twenty-nine medication drop boxes are currently located throughout Berks County, but for some, getting to a drop box location may not be possible. A new program provides an alternative option for Berks residents.

SOS Berks, the Berks Opioid Coalition, will be distributing medication disposal bags to individuals who are home-bound and need to dispose of unused and expired medications.

“The medication disposal bag is yet one more weapon at our disposal to fight the opioid overdose epidemic” states Commissioner Kevin S. Barnhardt, Co-Chair of SOS Berks.  “These bags allow for the safe disposal of medications that may otherwise end up in the hands of our children and grandchildren.”

The medication disposal bags are made available through funds from the Berks County Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Program.

The Council on Chemical Abuse (COCA), in collaboration with the Berks County Office of Aging, will coordinate outreach and education programs to home health care programs and senior centers.  Dr. Edward B. Michalik, Executive Director of the Berks County Office of Aging indicated that the medication disposal bags would be especially helpful for those seniors who are home-bound and may not be able to safely dispose of their unused medications. According to Dr. Michalik, the medication disposal bags, together with awareness materials, will be disseminated specifically to seniors unable to access the medication drop boxes.

This initiative is part of a comprehensive plan developed by SOS Berks to assist county residents in the disposal of unused medications. SOS Berks began in 2016 with a focus on reducing overdose deaths related to opioids. Efforts of the coalition have spread to include community safety related to opioids, including medication safety. Visit their Facebook page at Facebook.com/sosberks to learn more.

For more information about this program, please contact Marcia Goodman-Hinnershitz at (610) 376-8669, Ext. 112 or mghinnershitz@cocaberks.org.