ORANGE PARK, Fla. – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is teaming up with medical personnel to keep unused prescription drugs out of the wrong hands and dispose of them safely.
Booths were set up at Orange Park Medical Center so residents could clean out their medicine cabinets and get rid of old prescriptions properly.
The opioid epidemic is not only a problem nationally but locally as well and that’s why drug drop-off events like the one Saturday are being held.
“I was glad I heard on channel 4 this morning that it was being held today. And I’ve been waiting to have one close to me, “ Matt Brabham said.
He stopped by because old medications were stacking up in his house.
“I came and dropped off medications I didn’t need to finish, most medications that my wife was taking. She passed away in December. I wanted to get that cleaned out, “ said Brabham.
Stephanie Geoghagan with the Clay Action Coalition, aims to fight drug abuse in Clay County and worked alongside a pharmacist to organize the event.
She said young people often find old meds and abuse them.
“Some young people may go into medicine cabinets and take medications to divert to their peers. And so it’s important for us to get the prevention (message out) for young people to get word out to parents," Geoghagan said.
Dr. Jodi Graves is the Director of the Orange Park Medical Center Pharmacy department.
“The danger is (that) over time the reason there’s a shelf life on a drug is because the potency no longer exists. Also some drugs become toxic,” Graves said.
If you missed Saturday’s event there’s also a drop box for old medications at Orange Park police department and Green Cove Springs police department.
They’re working on getting another drug drop box at Orange Park Medical Center as well.