Covenant HealthCare in collaboration with the Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network (OPEN), Burt Watson Chevrolet, and Saginaw Police Department will host a Medication Take-Back event on Saturday, September from 30, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm outside 800 Cooper (Physician Office Building). This allows community members to drive-thru and drop off unwanted or unused prescription medications, including pills and capsules (no liquid filled), patches, pet medications, and expired or unwanted prescriptions (including controlled substances). No needles, syringes, inhalers, lancets or liquids will be accepted. The event will be coordinated with City of Saginaw Police Department, with officers and Covenant employee volunteers on-site.
Community members are encouraged to bring unused medications, and tell friends and family to do the same.
According to Michigan OPEN, 91 people die each day in the US from opioid-related overdoses – that is more than the number of people killed in car accidents or by guns. Opioids are often involved in accidental poisonings and intentional misuse.
• Every 10 minutes a child visits the emergency room for medication poisoning
• 12.5 million people age 12 and older misused opioids in the last year
• Three in five teens say prescription pain medication is easy to get from their parents’ medicine cabinet
Given these statistics, it is recommend to dispose of unused opioids and medications as soon as possible.
For more details about Michigan OPEN, visit www.michigan-open.org