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| Pictured left to right: Erika Kreamer of the Friendship Police Department, Jones Memorial Hospital Pharmacist Kerry Clark, Executive Director of ACASA Bill Penman and PPAC Coordinator Jon Chaffee. |
Friendship and Fillmore, NY – This past Saturday, October
28, was the Drug Enforcement Administration’s second National Prescription Drug
Take Back of 2017. Like so many communities across the country, Allegany County
had two locations at the Friendship Ambulance Squad and Fillmore Pharmacy where
community members could drop off unwanted or unused medications.
The pill drop events have been taking place in Allegany
County since 2008. This has been a partnership between the Allegany County
Sheriff’s Office, the Allegany Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
Inc.(ACASA), and Partners for Prevention in Allegany County(PPAC). “These
events are an outlet for community members to get rid of old or unused
medications in a safe manner,” said Coalition Coordinator Jon Chaffee. “We hear
from people all the time that they are so grateful for these events because
they did not know what to do with their unused medications otherwise,” said
Chaffee.
This year, 32 cars participated, for a total of 148 pounds
of medications turned in, which included 1259 pills and 1000 milliliters of
controlled substances. The street value
of these controlled substances is estimated at well over $15,000. “Utilizing
the DEA’s Take Back Day twice a year allows us to reach out to communities
without pill drop boxes and help educate the community about proper disposal of
medications,” said Undersheriff Kevin Monroe.
Allegany County has seven pill drop boxes throughout the
county at: Alfred State University Police, the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office
in Belmont, Cuba Police Department, Fillmore Pharmacy, Jones Memorial Hospital
in Wellsville, Jones Memorial Medical Practice in Bolivar, and Wellsville
Police Department. “Pill Drop boxes throughout the county are an asset and are
being used quite often,” said Monroe.
The group would like to also thank the Fillmore Pharmacy,
Friendship Police, and volunteers from Jones Memorial Hospital for partnering
with them on making the Take Back Day a successful one. For more information on
Take Back Day or pill drop box locations, please visit www.ppaccentral.org.
