More than 1,200 of the pouches have been distributed at dental and doctor offices and pharmacies in East County and central San Diego
An effort funded by county government to help people safely dispose of unused prescription drugs through the trash is under way in East County and central San Diego, officials said.
Under the program, medication disposal bags are given out by medical and dental offices and pharmacies. The program is being rolled out in areas where increased rates of overdose deaths have been documented, county officials said. Prescription and over-the-counter medications can be placed into the pouch — including pills, patches, liquids, creams and films, the company said. The company says the process not only keeps unwanted drugs from being misused but it keeps them from harming the environment.
So far, 45 healthcare practices and pharmacies — including 23 dental offices — have received pouches and educational materials about the program. The board originally planned to spend $8 million to distribute the disposal bags to all households in San Diego County, but they opted for the scaled-back pilot program funding in October 2023. That’s when the board voted to reallocate the remaining $7.5 million to support the East County Recovery Bridge Center, a prevention and treatment program, Saunders said.
In 2022, 857 people died from an opioid overdose in San Diego County. That was an increase of about 115 percent from 2016, county officials said.
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