By The Star Staff
To protect citizens and prevent cases of overdose and poisoning by opioids and other medications, the head of the Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA), Carmen Bonet Vázquez, announced Wednesday the implementation of the Safe Disposal Program for Controlled and Unused Medications, through an alliance with mayors and municipal police commissioners across the island.
“This effort seeks to educate people about the importance of storing medications in a safe place in their home, away from the reach of other adults, children and pets,” Bonet Vázquez said. “Likewise, it proposes raising awareness about the importance of properly disposing of medications that are expired or that we no longer use. If we assume these security measures, we can safeguard the lives and well-being of our families and other loved ones.”
As part of the initiative, 77 municipalities will have the service available to their citizens through their municipal headquarters, which will make available a “special mailbox” known as Rx Destroyer. The gallon-capacity receptacle contains a solution that inactivates the ingredients of the medications and destroys them safely, cheaply and conveniently. Through this product, citizens will be able to dispose of all medications, whether in the form of pills, capsules, tablets, liquids, lozenges, transdermal patches, fentanyl lollipops, or suppositories.
“When you arrive at your municipal headquarters, you just have to ask where the Rx Destroyer ‘mailbox’ is located to dispose of your medications,” the ASSMCA administrator said.
Anyone interested in disposing of medications can access the ASSMCA portal to find out about participating municipalities, at www.assmca.pr.gov, as well as keep an eye on the agency’s social networks. The project also includes educational material accessible to citizens by scanning the QR located on the front of the “mailbox” where they will dispose of their medications.
Bonet Vázquez noted that in Puerto Rico “polypharmacy proliferates and many citizens have first aid kits full of medications that they no longer use.”
“All of this can also become a risk for children, young people and older adults, if left within their reach,” she said.
The official stressed that although Puerto Rico is not experiencing a public health crisis due to deaths due to opioid medications, as is the case in the mainland United States, incidents of that nature are considerable at the local level.
“This initiative represents another effort to stop the increase in cases of dependence on and overdoses of opioids and other medications,” she said.
Bonet Vázquez also proposed removing from circulation those drugs that are expired or out of use that would cause harm to those who ingest them, including “over the counter” medications.
“If we all do our part we can save more lives,” she said. “To achieve this, we want to provide you with an easy and secure method to do so. I invite you to join and benefit from these services.”
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