City of Wyoming and Metro Health-University of Michigan Health Partner in Drug Take Back Day

WYOMING, Mich. - Oct. 5, 2017 - PRLog -- Metro Health-University of Michigan Health and the City of Wyoming will help households across our community dispose of unused medications safely and properly on Saturday, Oct. 28.

The City of Wyoming and Metro Health again will partner to provide a Drug Take Back service between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Area residents are encouraged to bring unused prescriptions and over-the-counter medications to the main lobby of Metro Health Hospital, 5900 Byron Center Ave. SW or to Wyoming Department of Public Safety, 2300 DeHoop Ave. SW, both located in Wyoming.

Wyoming Public Safety officers will be on hand to anonymously accept medications, including controlled substances, with no questions asked. A pharmacist from Metro Health will be available throughout the event to answer questions about medications. Mercury thermometers may also be exchanged for a new digital thermometer from the City of Wyoming and Metro Health.

Growing concern over pharmaceutical pollution in waterways and prescription drug abuse has led cities nationwide to develop drug take back programs. The West Michigan Drug Take Back program is a joint effort between local pharmacies, law enforcement, wastewater treatment facilities and government agencies to provide residents with safe, convenient access to proper medicine disposal. Medications collected in West Michigan are transported to Kent County's Waste to Energy Facility, where they are incinerated.

Metro Health and the City of Wyoming partner twice a year to provide this service to the community. In April, the Drug Take Back Day event took in 652 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter drugs and 25 mercury thermometers.

The City of Wyoming also offers a prescription drug drop-off service 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, also at its Public Safety offices in Wyoming.

According to the West Michigan Take Back Meds website, 20 percent to 60 percent of prescription medications go unused and are eventually disposed. A 2002 analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey of 139 streams across 30 states found that 80 percent of waterways tested had measurable concentrations of prescription and nonprescription drugs, steroids and reproductive hormones. For more on West Michigan Take Back Meds, visit www.wmtakebackmeds.com.

About Metro Health – University of Michigan Health: An award-winning leader in community healthcare, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health serves more than 250,000 patients annually from across West Michigan – and beyond. In addition to its 208-bed hospital — which provides a comprehensive suite of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services — Metro Health – University of Michigan Health has a growing number of neighborhood outpatient centers and offices throughout West Michigan, as well as a community clinic for the underserved and a student health clinic on the campus of Grand Valley State University. With more than 500 physicians on staff, Metro Health provides a growing number of specialty health services, including cancer treatment, heart and vascular, neurology, pulmonology and others. The hospital is committed to promoting health and wellness through the work of the Metro Health Hospital Foundation, Live Healthy community outreach classes and educational programs and more. Visit us at www.metrohealth.net, follow us on Twitter @MetroHealthGr (https://twitter.com/MetroHealthGR) and like us on Facebook/MetroHealth (https://www.facebook.com/MetroHealth/).

About the City of Wyoming

For more information, call the City of Wyoming at 616. 530.7272 or visit the City website at www.wyomingmi.gov. Follow the City on Twitter @WyomingCityHall (http://twitter.com/WyomingCityHall) and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CityofWyoming.