Summit Medical Group Hosts the 2011 American Medicine Chest Challenge
Summit Medical Group hosts The 2011 American Medicine Chest Challenge Saturday, November 12, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Walgreen’s Pharmacy on its main campus at 1 Diamond Hill Road.
Area residents are invited to take the Five-Step American Medicine Chest Challenge:
• Take inventory of your prescription and over-the-counter medicine.
• Lock your medicine chest.
• Dispose of your unused, unwanted, and expired medicine at an American Medicine
Chest Challenge Disposal site (Summit Medical Group).
• Take your medicine(s) exactly as prescribed.
• Talk to your children about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.
The most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows prescription medicines to be the most abused drugs by Americans, other than marijuana and found that 70% of people who abuse prescription pain relievers say they got them from friends or relatives. A recent study on drug use by of teens by the Partnership for a Drug Free America (PDFA) found that one in 9 children are abusing prescription pain relievers to get high.
“People should see their medicine cabinets through new eyes — as an access point for potential misuse and abuse of over-the-counter and prescription medicine,” explained Walter Cifuentes, RPh, licensed pharmacist for Walgreen’s at Summit Medical Group. “This year’s collection helps raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and offers a safe, secure site for medication disposal.”
Members of the community can bring their unused, unwanted,and expired medication to Walgreen’s pharmacy, located inside Summit Medical Group’s Lawrence Pavilion. Collection will take place between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on the 13th. The event is open to all area residents. It is not necessary to be a patient of the Group to participate.
Partnering with the Berkeley Heights Police Department, this is the second year in which Summit Medical Group will host the Medicine Chest Challenge. Last year’s event collected more than 200 pounds of expired and unused medications.
The American Medicine Chest Challenge has gained the national support of PhRMA, The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, and the American College of Emergency Physicians.
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