JPD Drug Take-Back Day Nets Highest Amount

collected 74 pounds of expired prescription and over-the-counter drugs during this year's Prescription Drug Take Back Day, held Apr. 28.

Maj. Daniel Parrillo, who coordinated the local effort, said during a phone interview on Friday that it was the department's biggest collection in the three years of the program.

"This is the most we've ever had," Parrillo said, noting that the previous two years' collections resulted in about 50 pounds each. "It's the most successful one they've had in the state and nationwide, as well."

Rhode Island Atty. Gen. Peter Kilmartin announced that more than 2,250 pounds of pharmaceuticals were collected at 40 sites run by 36 police departments and the City of Providence.

“The response to this event was tremendous,” Kilmartin said in a statement.  “The public understands the dangers of having expired and unused prescription medications lying around in their homes at risk for abuse and misuse.”

Under the program, residents were asked to turn in unused and expired prescription and over-the-counter drugs, no questions asked, at local police stations and other locations.

Rhode Islanders have turned in more than 5,400 pounds of outdated and unused prescription medications as part of the last four Drug Take Back Days, according to statistics released by Kilmartin.

The DEA reported that Americans turned in 377,080 pounds — 188.5 tons — of prescription drugs at over 5,300 sites during the previous Take Back Day in October, and nearly 500 tons of pills since the program began in 2010.