Margaretville Hospital to Participate in Drug Takeback Program

Margaretville Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), will take back unwanted prescription drugs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, October 27.

The returns, accepted in the hospital's lobby pharmacy, will be part of a nationwide drug takeback day to help reduce drug addiction and the number of overdose deaths by discarding expired opioids or other unused drugs in a safe, convenient and responsible way.

"Drive up to the hospital, walk in the door and into our pharmacy, drop the meds in a secure box and you're done – no questions asked," says hospital Pharmacy Manager Randall Moore, RPh. "We take any medication except for hypodermic needles, aerosol containers and hydrogen peroxide."

The pharmacy can also provide free consultation about the potential abuse of medications.

More than six million Americans misuse prescription drugs a year, says the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, which oversees the nationwide takeback program.

"We're proud to participate in the program, providing our community with a safe, convenient place to dispose of unused, unwanted or expired prescription medications," says Mark Pohar, Executive Director of Margaretville Hospital and adjacent Mountainside Residential Care Center. "The proper disposal of prescription drugs is critical to protecting public health and the environment. It keeps controlled substances out of the wrong hands and ensures they stay clear of our streams, rivers and other waterways."

While the DEA holds a national drug takeback day twice a year – once in April and again in October — the Margaretville Hospital pharmacy is authorized to accept unwanted drugs any day it's open, all year long.

The pharmacy is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.