Safely Dispose of Prescription Drugs With National Initiative

The American Medicine Chest Challenge  is slated for November 10. Unused, unwanted, and expired medicine disposal locations will be open in all 21 New Jersey Counties.

The initiative is being coordinated by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), Sheriffs’ Association of New Jersey (SANJ), and Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey. It challenges New Jersey residents to take the Five-Step American Medicine Chest Challenge: Take inventory of your prescription and over-the-counter medicine; Secure your medicine; Dispose of your unused, unwanted, and expired medicine in your home or at an American Medicine Chest Challenge Disposal site; Take your medicine(s) exactly as prescribed; and Talk to your children about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

AMCC Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the PDFNJ, Angelo Valente says, “The goal of this community based public health initiative is to inform New Jersey families of the need to dispose of their unused, unwanted, and expired medicine because these excess medicines can be a danger lurking in the family home.”

AMCC is based on the success of the nationally recognized Operation Medicine Cabinet New Jersey (OMC-NJ). OMC-NJ was the first in the nation statewide day of disposal, held in November 2009 with a one day, four-hour, state-wide event that netted over 9,000 lbs. of medicine, with a street value of over $35 million, while simultaneously garnering over a million dollars in in-kind media attention on the issue of prescription and over the counter drug abuse. The program was recognized in the 2010 Drug Strategy of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Valente explains, “With over 1,000 community, government, and local law enforcement partners in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia and two Indian Nations, we are on our way to a truly historical nationwide awakening to the dangers of prescription drug abuse.”