LANSING, Mich. — Many people have old prescription drugs taking up space in medicine cabinets, but those drugs can be dangerous to keep around.
Meijer stores across Michigan have launched a drug take back program, meaning shoppers will see locked boxes at every Meijer Pharmacy in the state. You can now drop off your medications during regular pharmacy hours with no questions asked, without needing to talk to a pharmacist.
State officials say the number of people killed by opioids in 2017 was more than the number of people killed in car accidents and shootings combined.
Pharmacists say if you have expired medicine in your cabinet, you need to dispose of it safely.
"So not only do they not work but actually some of the medications can break down into harmful chemicals and you definitely never want to take medication beyond the expiration date,” Meijer Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Jamie Vroman said in an interview. “So it's really best to dispose of them in units like this."
If you’re not sure on what drugs you can get rid of at the Meijer Pharmacy, every box has instructions printed on top to show you what you can and cannot drop off.
More information can be found on the Food and Drug Administration’s website by clicking here. [fda.gov]
