ANN ARBOR, MI - Washtenaw County residents looking to dispose of old, unused medications can do so at one of nine different locations during a medication take back event this weekend.
Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network (Michigan OPEN) is partnering with hospitals, pharmacies, community organizations and police departments across Washtenaw County to host medication take back events from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19.
According to Michigan OPEN, research has found that about 70% of opioids prescribed for surgery go unused and are not disposed, increasing the potential for these medications to be diverted into the community or contaminate our waterways. Michigan OPEN’s efforts with take back events have led to more than 9,600 pounds of unused medications and approximately 172,700 opioids being collected and properly disposed.
State data shows Michigan residents consumed enough opioids in 2018 for every man, woman and child in the state to have a 16-day supply. That’s 8.1 million prescriptions in a state with 10 million people. It’s down from a peak of 11.4 million in 2015, but still much higher than before the opioid crisis began, based on data from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
In 2018, the 8.1 million opioid prescriptions were issued to 2.6 million “aggregate patients," which represents each patient prescribed a specific opioid, such as Tylenol with codeine No. 3. Individuals were counted more than once if they obtained more than one type of opioid in 2018. On average, an individual prescribed a specific opioid filled that prescription three times in 2018, totaling an 62-day supply of the drug with 207 doses, the state data shows.
This weekend’s drug takeback event is a week earlier than events scheduled throughout the rest of the state of Michigan. For more information on those events, visit the Michigan OPEN website.
Here is a list of locations you can visit to drop off old medications:
Ann Arbor: St. Francis Catholic School, 2270 E. Stadium
Dexter: Monument Park, Baker Road at Main Street
Milan: Milan Police Department, 35 Neckel Ct.
Saline: Saline Police Department, 100 N. Harris St.
Whitmore Lake: Northfield Township Community & Senior Center, 9101 Main St.
Ypsilanti: Corner Health Center, 47 N. Huron St.
Ypsilanti: St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, 5301 McAuley Drive
Ypsilanti: West Willow Community Resource Center, 2057 Tyler Road