Medical City Decatur and Decatur Police Department were part of an effort that collected more than 1,500 pounds of unwanted or expired medication across North Texas, Medical City Healthcare shared in a press release. FILE | WCMESSENGER
North Texas residents turned in more than 1,500 pounds of unwanted or expired medication at Medical City Healthcare collection sites during the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Oct. 25, according to a press release from Medical City Healthcare.
Medical City Healthcare hospitals — including Medical City Decatur — partnered with local police departments to serve as collection sites. Participating hospitals included Medical City Arlington, Medical City Dallas, Medical City Denton, Medical City Frisco and Medical City McKinney.
“This year’s success in North Texas was possible with the support of law enforcement officers from the Arlington, Dallas, Decatur, Denton, Frisco and McKinney police departments,” the press release said.
The event offered a safe, anonymous opportunity for residents to dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medications, which Medical City Healthcare said can help prevent drug misuse.
In addition to participating in the national take-back day, Medical City Healthcare maintains permanent drug take back boxes at 15 of its hospitals. There’s one in the first floor lobby of Medical City Decatur. The hospital is located at 609 Medical Center Dr in Decatur. The boxes are available year-round, free of charge, and are compliant with DEA regulations.
The hospital system participates in the DEA initiative as part of HCA Healthcare’s national “Crush the Crisis” program, launched in 2019 to address the growing problem of prescription drug abuse. Since then, HCA Healthcare and its hospitals nationwide have collected more than 108,500 pounds of medication in partnership with law enforcement, according to the release.
Medical City Healthcare said its drug take back programs build on HCA Healthcare’s efforts to reduce prescription drug misuse, like data from patient encounters to improve pain-management practices across surgical, emergency and other care settings. Initiatives include Enhanced Surgical Recovery protocols and Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances. HCA Healthcare also collaborates with the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Combating Substance Use and Opioid Crises.
For more information on the program and the drug take back boxes, visit https://medicalcityhealthcare.com/DrugTakeBack.
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