Kearney, NE – On October 26, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office is hosting a prescription takeback event at CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital, 10 E 31st St, Kearney, NE, in the north parking lot “M.” Unused or expired medication, tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs and vape products will be collected. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. The event is in partnership with the Kearney Police Department, CHI Health Good Samaritan, Kearney/Holdrege Elks Lodge #984, and Buffalo County Community Partners’ Positive Pressure.
If community members cannot attend the event, prescriptions can be taken to pharmacies year-round for disposal. Pharmacies that participate in year-round disposal are ABC Drug Kearney, Kearney Hy-Vee, Kearney Walgreens, Kearney CVS (Target), Kearney Haeberle’s (Apple Market), Svanda Rexall Pharmacy Ravenna, Valley (Kearney Clinic), Lambert’s Family Pharmacy Gibbon, and Kearney U Save Pharmacy.
In partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed 9,285 tons of medication from circulation since its inception. “This event gives me an opportunity to clean out my cabinets and make sure that prescriptions don’t get into the wrong hands. I feel safe taking my medications to the takeback events and encourage our S.A.F.E. Center staff and clients to do the same to help keep our community safe,” said Nikki Gausman, the S.A.F.E. Center.
Medicines that stay in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. According to Stop Overdose NE, 241 Nebraskans died of overdose in 2021.
“Take time to look for and remove unneeded medications from your homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting,” said Inv. Sgt. Paul Koerner, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office.
Event volunteer Doug Kramer, Kearney Elks Lodge #984, DDGER/Secretary, says, “I truly believe it’s vital for our local communities to step up and be proactive in providing a safe and responsible method of disposing of unused prescription drugs. Expired medications, unfortunately, find their way into the wrong hands, sometimes intentionally and by accident. We work together as prevention professionals, law enforcement officers, health care providers, and volunteers to keep our youth and families safe.”
This project is 50% funded by the Nebraska State Opioid Response grant (5H79TI085774-02) through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, contracted through the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Behavioral Health.
Buffalo County Community Partners is a non-profit organization that identifies concerns impacting the well-being of area residents, addresses concerns by collecting and evaluating data, and facilitates conversations among experts and impacted parties. They are uniquely positioned to do this work because they invest time to build connections and increase access to the necessary resources and experiences to achieve solutions. Find more at www.bcchp.org or contact us at (308)865-2284 or info@bcchp.org
