By Christie Duffy
Correspondent
Fighting the drug war, starting with seniors. The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team in Essex County organized this event today, asking the elderly to put all their prescription pills on the table.
“I’m glad I did come because a lot of the medication I had was expired,” said Irvington resident Herbert Smith.
Too old, the wrong kind, duplicates. All issues brought to the surface. Plus pharmacists here discovered some are taking too much of their own medicine.
“There are some pharmacies that are automatically refilling without the patient even saying they want the medication. So patients have extra meds in their household that they’re not even using,” said ADAPT Coordinator Joel Torres.
After talking with a pharmacist, seniors were asked to fill out surveys. The ADAPT Coalition says data they’ve collected about drug use in the county often leads them straight to seniors’ medicine cabinets.
“This issue is increasing not only here in New Jersey but throughout the entire country,” Torres said.
This will be the first event of many in this area. Trying to take back medicine like this, which could fall into the wrong hands.
“A relative, a grandchild, a child would come in, go through the medicine cabinet and take medications that are not prescribed to them,” said Essex County Deputy Director of Community Health Eileen Fishman.
“Either to take it for themselves, to give it to friends or sell it,” Torres said.
Pills collected here today will be disposed of. ADAPT and the county health department say it’s their goal to get pill drop off bins installed at every police station in the county. All in an effort to stop the cycle of addiction where it often starts.