LEXINGTON, Ky. — Wednesday, Aug. 31, is Overdose Awareness Day, a time to remember those we’ve lost to drug overdose and bring awareness to community safety regarding pharmaceuticals.
Patients at Baptist Health Lexington who have been prescribed opioid medication and enrolled in the hospital’s Meds-to-Beds program receive a drug disposal kit when discharged from the hospital.
Once a patient’s pain has been well managed, he or she can use the kit to render the remaining doses inactive.
“Prescription medication disposal is critical to medication safety,” said Will Stewart, Baptist Health Lexington’s pharmacy manager. “The kits are a convenient way for patients to dispose of prescribed medicines that are no longer needed.”
Another drug disposal option is to bring unused prescription medications or other drugs to the Baptist Health Lexington Pharmacy, located on the first floor of the hospital’s North Tower. The pharmacy has a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-approved drug take-back container that allows for easy disposal of medications.
“Both options allow patients to keep unused drugs out of their medicine cabinets and safe from the risks of misuse or abuse,” said Stewart.
The Baptist Health Lexington community pharmacy is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. More information is available at Baptisthealth.com/Lexington.
To find a list of other drug take-back locations in Kentucky and around the country, go to baptisthealth.com/medication-disposal.
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