Blue Cross Urges Louisianians to Bring Expired or Unused Prescription Drugs for Safe, No-contact Disposal this Saturday, Oct. 23

WHAT:

Fall 2021 DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Join representatives of the local U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office, Baton Rouge Police Department and the Baton Rouge Health District for this semi-annual event. It’s a low- to no-contact process for dropping off your old prescriptions safely.

WHERE:

Baton Rouge: Baton Rouge Police Department headquarters, 9000 Airline Highway (drive-through portico near Airline entrance)

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: 

• Drive through the covered front entrance at Baton Rouge Police Department headquarters, on the side near Airline Highway/Connell’s Village. 
• Drop off your expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs or have a representative get them from your vehicle. 
• We ask the public to mask up when they come by.
• Law enforcement safely disposes of any medications that people bring in. 

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FROM 10 A.M. TO 2 P.M.

SATURDAY, OCT. 23

DO BRING:

Old and/or expired medications 

Unused prescription drugs 

Vaping devices and cartridges 

DON’T BRING:

Needles/sharps 

CAN’T MAKE IT ON OCT. 23?

• Baton Rouge Police Department and law enforcement agencies throughout the state have secure drop boxes where you can get rid of old, 
  expired or unused medication year-round.
• Drop-off is anonymous, and no questions will be asked.
• These boxes are provided through a partnership of the Louisiana Attorney General’s office, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana 
  and the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators.
• Visit bcbsla.com/safedrugdrop for a map of permanent drop-off sites.

THE OPIOID CRISIS

Both national and Louisiana data show that increases in opioid-related overdose deaths were occurring even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) noted that the co-occurring COVID-19 pandemic and opioid overdose epidemic created “the perfect storm for folks who are substance dependent.” Add that to the fears of potential job loss, working from home, teaching kids at home and other stressors, and it’s not surprising that:

• There were more opioid-related deaths in the U.S. in 2020 than in any prior year.

   

• A total of 588 opioid-related deaths occurred in Louisiana during 2019, up from 455 in the prior year. This rate is higher than the national average.

   

• In 2019, Louisiana providers wrote 81 opioid prescriptions for every 100 people, compared to the 2018 U.S. average of 58.7 prescriptions.

WHY WE NEED A DRUG TAKE BACK DAY

• Opioid abuse and misuse frequently begin with the home medicine cabinet.
• 75,000 kids go to the ER each year due to medication accidents. More than 80% of these visits were because an unsupervised child 
  found and consumed the medication.

   

• Children under 5 years old are twice as likely as older children to be taken to the ER for an adverse drug event.

   

• Studies show that teenagers often get high for the first time on prescription drugs from their parents’ medicine cabinets.

   

• One in four teenagers report having misused or abused a prescription drug at least once.

   

• Younger children, the elderly and even pets can get very sick if they accidentally swallow medicines not meant for them.

   

• Overall, adverse drug events cause more than 1 million ER visits each year—so it’s best to clear out those old prescription drugs.
  One of the safest ways to do that is to bring them to the DEA drop-off site on Saturday, Oct. 23.

ABOUT BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF LOUISIANA
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying nonprofit health insurer with offices in every major region to serve our customers. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at www.bcbsla.com or talk to us on social media.