Lindsey Bickers Bock, health education supervisor with the Granville-Vance Public Health Department, was on Thursday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the Prescription Drug Take Back event taking place in Oxford this weekend.

Held in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Agency’s 17^th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, the local event will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2019, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Professional Pharmacy, 140 Roxboro Rd (near Food Lion) in Oxford.

The event is a partnership between G-V Public Health, Professional Pharmacy, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation, Cardinal Innovations Healthcare and Harm Reduction Coalition NC.

“We invite the community to bring any type of medication that they aren’t using anymore, as well as any used or unused syringes, to Professional Pharmacy on Saturday and let us help you dispose of them in a safe way,” said Bickers Bock.

Participants are asked to bring medication and syringes in their original containers and to mark over or scratch out identifying information; no personal information is required for participation.

According to Bickers Bock, the event is also an opportunity to educate the public about potential prescription drug abuse and consequences.

“The Take Back event is done as part of the Vibrant Coalition that works to reduce the risk of an opioid overdose. We know that one of the ways people end up misusing opioids is by having too much medication available to them after needing the prescription for only a short time.”

In fact, Bickers Bock said studies have shown that having just a five-day supply more than needed makes a person twice as likely to use opioids a year later.

In a recent press release sent to WIZS concerning the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., expressed concern about the on-going opioid crisis both state-wide and on the national level.

“Across the county and here in the Eastern District of North Carolina, we are facing a real and dangerous threat from opioids and other prescription drugs,” said Higdon. “We have unprecedented levels of addiction, frightening numbers of overdoses and an alarming number of deaths because of the over prescription and improper use of these drugs. And this requires each of us to work to solve it. By properly disposing of prescription medication we do not need, we can reduce the risk that these drugs will fall into the wrong hands. Please help us resolve this problem by participating in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.”

For more information on G-V Public Health and/or the Prescription Drug Take Back event being held in Oxford, please visit www.gvph.org. With additional questions, please contact Bickers Bock at (919) 693-2141, ext. 148 or email lbickersbock@gvdhd.org.

To locate a collection site that may be closer to you, please go the DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day web site at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#collection-locator where you can search by zip code, city or state.

To hear the Town Talk interview with Bickers Bock in its entirety, click here. Bickers Bock’s portion of the interview begins at the 12:38 mark.