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You could be a drug dealer and not even know it.

According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers, 4.9 million people misused prescription stimulants, and 5.9 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives. The survey also showed that most misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is on April 27 and aims to bring awareness to a crucial  public safety issue: unused or expired medications lead to potential accidental poisoning, misuse and overdose. Pharmaceutical drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor’s supervision. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, the non-medical use of prescription drugs ranks second only to marijuana as the most common form of drug abuse in America. Since the fall of 2010, more than 15.2 million pounds of medication have been collected on National Drug Take Back Day.

“While National Drug Take Back Day is an excellent way to remind us to properly dispose of  old or unused medicines, KeyCare Pharmacy provides year-round access to a secure medicine collection bin that provides a safe and convenient disposal option,” said Loralee Feininger, Pharm.D., RPH, director of retail pharmacy.

Trinity Health’s KeyCare Pharmacy, 400 Burdick Expressway East, is one of several locations in Minot that provide a convenient drop off for prescription drug disposal. The Medsafe receptacle is secured to the wall and is equipped with two separately keyed locks on the main door and a one-way medicine drop with lock. It is DEA and DOT compliant to accept controlled (Schedules II-V), non-controlled and over the-counter medicines. It is not necessary to remove drugs from containers or blister packs, and patients do not need to remove or black out private information on bottles or packaging, such as their name and address, as the disposal method is completely confidential.

Feininger says that when the inner liner is full, it is removed from the collection receptacle by authorized persons, securely sealed and returned by common carrier for proper destruction. The liner is waterproof,tamper resistant, tear resistant and features a unique identification number for easy tracking. The service is funded by the North Dakota Board of Pharmacy and costs nothing for sponsors or end users, such as patients.

“It is not uncommon to see family members come in with bags of old prescriptions after cleaning out the medicine cabinet of a recently deceased loved one,” she said. “We are pleased to offer this service and feel it keeps our patients, their families and the environment safe.”

If there is a not a take back location in your community, the next best thing is to

• Take meds out of their bottle

• Mix them with something unappealing like used kitty litter or coffee grounds and add water

• Seal them in a bag or disposable container, mix and throw away

Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold. Unused drugs that are flushed contaminate the water supply. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment.

Keycare Pharmacy is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and all holidays.