Date: Wednesday, Aug 09, 2023
Unit: Community Partnerships and Engagement Unit
Phone: 4168080100
Case #: N/A
The Toronto Police Service, in partnership with Rexall Pharmacy Group and Drug Free Kids (DFK) Canada are recognizing National Drug Drop-Off Month throughout August and International Overdose Awareness Day, taking place on August 31.
This collaboration aims to raise awareness about the importance of safely disposing medication that is old, expired or no longer needed to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands or being misused within the community.
To further raise awareness of safe drug disposal within the community, the partners will host a Medication Take Back Awareness Day at three Rexall Pharmacy locations in Toronto on August 31, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The participating locations are:
Complimentary Naloxone kits and education will be provided at each location. Additionally, community members responsibly disposing of their unused or expired medication throughout August will receive a Be Well™ coupon for use in-store at their local Rexall Pharmacy.
“The most recent data from the City of Toronto indicates that the majority of opioid toxicity deaths over the past year were accidental, both in Toronto (96 per cent) and in the rest of Ontario (95 per cent),” said Superintendent Greg Watts of TPS’ Community Partnerships and Engagement Unit. “I am so pleased to have Drug Free Kids Canada on board for this year’s joint-awareness campaign with Rexall Pharmacies. Building and connecting with corporations and organizations that are community-minded and committed to giving back to the community is a game-changer. We are headed in the right direction, and I am excited to see how far we can go in making a difference in the lives of many, especially our youth.”
Rexall Pharmacy offers a complimentary year-round Medication Take Back service, providing a safeguard against medication misuse. Patients and customers are encouraged to drop off old, expired prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and natural health products at any Rexall Pharmacy for safe disposal. All returns are accepted, even if the medication was not initially purchased at Rexall.
"Safe storage and disposal of prescription and non-prescription medications is of utmost importance to the communities we serve,” said Nicolas Caprio, President of Rexall. “In support of the National Drug Drop-off Month this August, we want to highlight our Medication Take Back program, ensuring our patients and customers have a safe option to dispose of unused medications and help to prevent accidents and misuse. We are pleased to again partner with the Toronto Police Service and also with Drug Free Kids Canada this year in our shared commitment to public safety and awareness during such an important month.”
Drug Free Kids Canada is a national non-profit organization that creates and disseminates evidence-based drug prevention education to families to prevent and reduce the harms of problematic use by youth.
“Parents and caregivers need to have open conversations with their children about the risks of taking medications that are not prescribed to them. To reduce the potential of accidental ingestion or recreational use of medications, it is more important than ever for parents to securely store all medications and take back old and unused medications to a pharmacy for safe disposal.” said Chantal Vallerand, Executive Director, DFK Canada.
For more information about Rexall’s Medication Take Back program, please visit here.
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Shannon Cartier for Sergeant Wendy Drummond
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