City of Wyoming and Metro Health-University of Michigan Health
Saturday Apr 28, 2018
Saturday, April 28 Metro Health Hospital, 5900 Byron Center Ave. SW or
City of Wyoming & Metro Health-University of Michigan Health to Host National Drug Take Back Day Events
Partner in National Drug Take Back Day Event
Wyoming, Michigan, April 19, 2018 – The City of Wyoming and Metro Health-University of Michigan Health will help households across our community dispose of unused medications safely and properly on Saturday, April 28.
The City of Wyoming and Metro Health again will partner to provide a Drug Take Back service between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Area residents are encouraged to bring unused prescriptions and over-the-counter medications to the main lobby of Metro Health Hospital, 5900 Byron Center Ave. SW or to Wyoming Department of Public Safety, 2300 DeHoop Ave. SW, both located in Wyoming.
Wyoming Public Safety officers will be on hand to anonymously accept medications, including controlled substances, with no questions asked. A pharmacist will be available at Metro Health throughout the event to answer questions about medications. Mercury thermometers may also be exchanged for a new digital thermometer from the City of Wyoming and Metro Health.
Growing concern over pharmaceutical pollution in waterways and prescription drug abuse has led cities nationwide to develop drug take back programs. The West Michigan Drug Take Back program is a joint effort between local pharmacies, law enforcement, wastewater treatment facilities and government agencies to provide residents with safe, convenient access to proper medicine disposal. Medications collected in West Michigan are transported to Kent County’s Waste to Energy Facility, where they are incinerated.
Metro Health and the City of Wyoming partner twice a year to provide this service to the community. This past October, the Drug Take Back Day event took in 502 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter drugs and 18 mercury thermometers.
The City of Wyoming also offers a prescription drug drop-off service 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, also at its Public Safety offices in Wyoming. The service has been so well-received that a second drop-off box has been installed.
According to the West Michigan Take Back Meds website, 20 percent to 60 percent of prescription medications go unused and are eventually disposed. A 2002 analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey of 139 streams across 30 states found that 80 percent of waterways tested had measurable concentrations of prescription and nonprescription drugs, steroids and reproductive hormones. For more on West Michigan Take Back Meds, visitwww.wmtakebackmeds.com.
About Metro Health – University of Michigan Health: As an affiliate of University of Michigan, Metro Health offers the region integrated access to a world class system of leading edge health care services with its patient-centric, holistic approach. The 208-bed hospital anchors the Metro Health Village in Wyoming, Michigan, serving more than 250,000 patients annually from across West Michigan and beyond. More than 61,000 emergency patients are treated each year. Primary care and specialty care services are provided at 30 locations throughout West Michigan. More than 500 physicians on staff provide state-of-the-art treatment for cancer, heart and vascular disease, stroke and trauma. Specialty services include bariatrics, cardiology, gastroenterology, neurosciences, orthopedics, pulmonology and wound care. The hospital is committed to promoting health and wellness through the work of the Metro Health Hospital Foundation, Live Healthy community outreach classes and educational programs. For more information visit www.metrohealth.net, follow us on Twitter @MetroHealthGr and like the hospital on Facebook.com/MetroHealth.
About the City of Wyoming
For more information, call the City of Wyoming at 616.530.7226 or visit the City website at www.wyomingmi.gov. Follow the City on Twitter @WyomingCityHall and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CityofWyoming
Date and Time
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM EDT
10 am - 2 pm
Location
City of Wyoming & Metro Health-Univer...
Wyoming Department of Public Safety, 2300 DeHoop Ave. SW