Over 9,000 Pounds of Prescription and OTC Medicine Collected

(Newark, NJ) - Operation Medicine Cabinet New Jersey was deemed a success when over 9,000 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter medicine (OTC) was collected. On November 19, 2009, over 440 local police departments and sheriff departments in all of New Jersey's 21 counties hosted collection sites, making New Jersey the first state in the nation to coordinate a statewide effort to rid homes of unwanted and unneeded drugs of all types.

Many local and statewide prevention and enforcement organizations partnered with Operation Medicine Cabinet lead agencies: the DEA New Jersey Division, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General (OAG), and the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ).

As New Jersey’s only poison center, the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES) has a long history of educating the public about the dangers of drugs in the home. NJPIES contributed to Operation Medicine Cabinet New Jersey by supplying educational material to collection sites throughout the state. Prescription and OTC drug abuse is just one of the dangers the center tracks and hopes to prevent through its public education efforts.

According to Dr. Steven Marcus, Executive and Medical Director of NJPIES, “….the more obvious risks associated with sedatives and stimulants in the home are being overlooked. As with most public health issues, the key is prevention and an easy way to prevent prescription drug abuse as well as mishaps with OTC medication is a simple medicine cabinet lock”.

Future plans are underway for expanding Operation Medicine Cabinet to other states throughout the country. New Jersey residents seeking immediate information on medicine disposal, drug information questions, and information about treating poison emergencies, should call the toll-free hotline, 1-800-222-1222, anytime. The hearing impaired may call 973-926-8008.

NJPIES provides free consultation through telephone hotline services and the web. Medical professionals such as physicians, registered nurses, and pharmacists offer confidential advice regarding poison emergencies and provide information on poison prevention, drugs, food poisoning, animal bites and more. The specialists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information, visit www.njpies.org or call 973-972-9280.