
Drug Free Sarasota. For Healthy People, Community, and Environment
Priority
*source Florida Medical Examiner’s Report 2014
Since 2013, all law enforcement agencies within Sarasota County at least (1) permanent prescription drug drop box.
There are currently (5) permanent prescription drug drop boxes within the county.
2014-County-wide participation in the final Drug Enforcement Agency take-back day.
Secure. Monitor. Dispose.
WATCH THE PSA.
AIM:
All law enforcement agencies in Sarasota County have collected over 13,000lbs of unused/expired prescription medication since 2009.
Although there was a 2.6% decrease in the amount of medications collected between they years 2013 and 2014; in the first (5) months of 2015, 1,980.95 pounds of unused/expired prescription medication has been collected. This is more than half of the 2014 year-end total.
Initiatives Overview
The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of unused and expired prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.
The coalition has successfully set up and promoted Alternative Safe Disposal Methods in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto County.
Development of PSAs in partnership with Law Enforcement and Medical Community.
The coalition has successfully set up and promoted Alternative Safe RX Disposal methods in Sarasota County for the homebound community.
Education on naloxone, its availability and use. Florida law protecting those who report overdose.
“DRIVE UP. DROP OFF. NO QUESTIONS ASKED.”
Dumping medicines down the drain?
RX ABUSE and MISUSE disposal card handouts for general public on how and where they can drop off unused and expired RX Medications.
AVAILABLE in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
Handouts given to cooperating pharmacies instructing users on where and how to dispose of unused and expired RX safely.
AVAILABLE in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
Students sign a pact to not take drugs, alcohol, or tobacco – agree to random testing – and get free and discounted items from local partnering small businesses.
Education on the dangers and increased incidence of Designer Drugs.
What are designer drugs?
A recruitment program for our Sarasota Physicians to engage an “educate while you wait” informational campaign targeting our patient population around Sarasota out of their waiting and exam rooms.
Safe Option Now Available for
to Dispose of Prescription Medications
Drug Free Sarasota is partnering with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County (DOH-Sarasota) to offer prescription medication disposal alternatives to homebound residents.
The Deterra Drug Activation System allows individuals to put their medication in a bag containing a carbon that bonds to pharmaceutical compounds when water is added. The user then adds water and shakes it up to neutral-ize the active ingredient in the drug before disposing of the biodegradable bag in the safety of their own home.
Deterra pouches can be picked up at the following Sarasota County locations while supplies last:
Sarasota
William L. Little Health & Human Services Center
2200 Ringling Blvd.
Sarasota County Government Complex Environmental Health Office,
1001 Sarasota Center Blvd.
North Port
North Port Health Center
6950 Outreach Way
Venice
Robert L. Anderson County Administration Center Environmental
Health Office
4000 S. Tamiami Trail
Citizens are still encouraged to drop off their unwanted/unused prescription medications in one of two permanent drop boxes located in the lobbies of the sheriff’s office north and south locations:
2071 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota
and
4531 State Road 776
Venice
Both are accessible to the public seven days a week; 24 hours a day in Sarasota and from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., in Venice. Since their inception in 2009, more than 19,000 pounds of unused and expired medicines have been collected in Sarasota County.
Our
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Gold Star Recipient of Central Florida Behavioral Health Network’s Performance Measure Award