BPD partners with Blake Hospital for “Crush the Crisis” Rx Take Back Day

Oct 21

October 21, 2024

The Bradenton Police Department will partner with HCA Florida Blake for the annual “Crush the Crisis” Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 26, 2024, from 9 a.m. until Noon. The event, which coincides with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, offers the community an opportunity to safely and anonymously dispose of medications left over from previous procedures or other medical visits.

While the drop-box in the lobby of the Bradenton Police Department is available year-round, BPD officers will collect expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs at HCA Florida Blake Hospital, 2020 59th Street West, Bradenton. A drive-through will be set up in front of the Medical Arts Building next to the hospital.

Officers will collect tablets, capsules, and patches of:

Hydrocodone (Norco, Lortab, Vicodin)
Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet)
Tramadol (Ultram)
Codeine
Fentanyl (Duragesic)
Morphine
Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
and Oxymorphone (Opana).

Additionally, officers will collect ointments and lotions in leak-proof containers, vape cartridges (without batteries), and medications. Needles, syringes, lancets, and liquids will not be accepted.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for the first time since 2018, national drug overdose deaths are decreasing. However, prescription drug misuse remains a public health crisis in the United States. Research shows a significant number of drug addictions and overdose deaths come from individuals accessing unused medications from family and friends.