Twice a year, the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office partners with the Drug Enforcement Agency to sponsor a prescription drug ‘take-back day’.

Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Jeannette Smith provided details of the event to KGVO News.

“The Missoula County Sheriff's Office will join more than 30 other sheriff's offices, police departments and federal agencies across the state of Montana and we're participating in a national day called Take Back Day,” said Smith. “It is Saturday, April 30 and the event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and we will have a drop off location for people to bring their unused and unneeded medications.”

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Smith explained the drop off process that the event will be at the Missoula County Courthouse.

“There will be a reserve deputy available who will take those, and it's anonymous,” she said. “They just collect them, put them in a box and then we turn those over with other unused drugs to a drop site federally that we have. This event takes place twice a year and so in April and October we just encourage people to think of this as part of their spring cleaning.”

Smith explained the importance of the National Take Back Day.

“This initiative addresses vital public safety and public health issues,” she said. Medicines that are in homes that are in places and that are visible or easily to get to are they're highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses from these drugs.”

Smith said she realized that Saturday could be a very busy day, and that there are drop off locations throughout western Montana that are available at any time.

“This isn't your only opportunity to do this,” she said “If you're not available or can't make that date to drop those (prescriptions) off; there are several locations that collect them all year long. Some of those are Partnership Health Center, Wal-Mart Pharmacy on Mullan Road, Granite Pharmacy, Community Cancer Center, GE Ventures Incorporated, as well as Frenchtown, Lolo Drug and Seeley Swan pharmacies.”

Year-round receptacles are also available at more than 13,000 pharmacies, hospitals, police departments, and businesses.

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