Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point (NHCCP), onboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, is participating in the Military Health System's Drug Take Back initiative to assist patients in properly disposing of unused and expired drugs.

"Expired or unused drugs can pose a potential hazard in any household, either to children or recovering addicts," said Lt. Anthony Wyble, NHCCP pharmacy department head. "Improperly disposing of these drugs can also harm the environment; polluting landfills and contaminating our water supply. This program offers an easy solution to dispose of prescription and over the counter medications."

Through the program, clinic patients can pick up pre-paid envelopes, complete with disposal guidance, from NHCCP's pharmacy. After removing all identifying labels from the medication bottle, patients simply place the container in the envelope and mail it for free to a facility where the medications will be incinerated without harming the environment.

Products such as pills, tablets, capsules, ointments, creams, lotions, powders, and liquid medicines of no more than four ounces are acceptable items for the Drug Take Back program. Unacceptable items include aerosol spray cans, alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, needles, syringes or sharp containers, more than four ounces of liquid, trash, mercury thermometers, batteries, chemicals, home-based care or durable medical equipment supplies, and illegal substances.

"We will have envelopes available at the main pharmacy here in the clinic and at the refill pharmacy at the Marine Corp Exchange," Wyble said. "We are excited to offer this program to our patients in an effort to reduce the risk of drug abuse and support the nation's initiative to diminish opioid use. These types of programs promote good medication habits and educate patients on healthy lifestyle choices."

Named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient, Pharmacist's Mate 2nd Class William D. Halyburton, NHCCP provides high-quality patient care to more than 33,000 active-duty members and Department of Defense beneficiaries. In addition to outpatient surgical services, NHCCP offers Medical Home Port (including family care and pediatrics), dermatology, internal medicine, orthopedics, physical therapy, mental health, pharmacy services, preventive medicine, aviation medicine, and radiology to include MRIs.

For more information, visit http://www.tricare.mil/drugtakeback/.

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