Looking to do its part in curbing the misuse of prescription drugs, Medicap Pharmacy started collecting old and unused medications from Austin residents earlier this year.

For the last few months, those looking to dispose of their medication found a place to do so at Medicap Pharmacy, where roughly 60 pounds of unused and expired prescription drugs were placed in a locked box inside the store for proper and safe disposal.

Those looking to dispose of their old and unused medications can drop them off during regular business hours from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

“It’s surprising to see how many people dropped them off,” said Jon Engelhardt, owner and pharmacist at Medicap Pharmacy. “We’ve had several boxes full. I’m pretty pleased that the word has gotten around. I see a lot of people who aren’t our normal customers.”

State by the numbers

Minnesota has seen an increase in the number of opioid overdoses by 430 percent since 2000, according to the Minnesota Department of Health report. There was a seven percent increase in opioid-related deaths in 2017 since 2016, as there were 422 people reported having died from opioid overdoses. About 195 were from prescription drugs, while 184 were from synthetic opioids like fentanyl and 111 were heroin-related.

Mower County saw 17 deaths from 2000 to 2017 from opioid related deaths, according to the Minnesota Department of Health report.

Statewide, more than 3.1 million opioid prescriptions were reportedly dispensed in 2017, with opioids such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and tramadol ranked as the top three opioids dispensed. There was about a 10 percent reduction in opioid prescriptions dispensed from 2016 to 2017.

However, the Minnesota Department of Health stated that it wasn’t possible to determine where the opioids involved in drug overdose death originated from (legally prescribed or illegally obtained) aside from heroin.

Nationwide, more than half a million people died from drug overdoses between 2000 and 2015, and the Center for Disease Control shared that 91 Americans die every day from opioid overdose. About half of all opioid overdose deaths involved a prescription drug.

“The stories of how people get into medicine cabinets are kind of scary,” Engelhardt said. “The awareness has gotten greater for all of us. There’s a bigger push to get rid of them.”

Take back

Efforts to help curb the opioid crisis have been ongoing. The Drug Enforcement Administration plans to host its national Take Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, at designated sites across the country where people can dispose of their unwanted, unused and expired medications.

Since 2010, the DEA collected almost 10.8 million pounds of unused drugs. More than 200 drop-off locations will be available for turning in medications, including in Minnesota.

“Many people don’t realize the risks associated with keeping unused or expired medication in their home medicine cabinets,” said Richard Salter Jr., special agent in charge. “It happens all too often that a family member or friend will steal one or two pills, maybe even an entire bottle. Misusing these medications can lead to accidental overdose, addiction or untimely death.”

As a pharmacist, Englehardt wanted to do his part to give the public an accessible place to dispose of their unwanted and unused medications. He also believed that by disposing of the drugs properly, that would also address the environmental wastewater impact that improperly disposed drugs could have.

“There is a financial cost to me, but we’re all responsible,” he said. “We wanted to address the drug problem and drugs going into our waste water. It’s the right thing to do with our profession. We’re all on the same page and have the same goals. This is an opportunity for me to step up and do my part.”