According to the data provided by the Office of the Medical Examiner, between 2018 and 2023 in the city of St. Louis, counts of Black fatalities were much higher than white or other race fatalities. Since 2022, this disparity is decreasing, with an increase in white and other race fatalities and a decrease in Black fatalities.
In the past year, public health officials, government health departments and local health care providers have made efforts to combat the opioid crisis.
In alignment with the United States Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, SSM Health’s Drug Take Back Drive took place in late October.
“Whenever we were talking about ways that we could involve medication safety in the community, this was one thing that came to mind because all of our hospitals have the appropriate drug take-back boxes to safely take the medications and ship them to where they can be disposed of.”
Tyler Lotz, director of Pharmacy Services at SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital – Lake Saint Louis
In October, SSM Health in St. Louis collected 892 pounds of unused and expired prescription drugs. SSM Health DePaul Hospital–St. Louis collected the most with 227 pounds. SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital collected 53 pounds.
“According to the DEA, unused or expired prescription medications that are left in people’s homes could le]ad to not only abuse or potential overdose, but accidental poisoning as well,“ Lotz said. “A lot of the pharmaceutical medications are just as dangerous as illegal medications if they are not taken the right way, so by making sure that we’re giving the community a safe place to dispose of them, then we’re removing that potential health risk from our community’s homes.”
The MedSafe bins that collect unused and/or expired prescription drugs are available year round at each SSM Health hospital in St. Louis. SSM Health in St. Louis hosts two competitions each year: one in the Spring and one in the Fall.
“SSM Health in St. Louis hosts the competition internally between hospitals,” Elizabeth Sharpe-Taylor, senior communications consultant at SSM Health, said. “It’s a way to raise awareness of how to properly dispose of unused and/or expired prescription drugs, [and] we are listed on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s website as an official place to dispose of unused and/or expired prescription drugs.”
The SSM Health Drug Take Back Drive program aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible way of disposing of prescription drugs. Unused prescription drugs found in home medicine cabinets can get into the wrong hands, creating dangerous and often tragic situations for adults and children. This program ensures that the drugs are disposed of safely, preventing them from being misused or accidentally swallowed.
SSM Health conducts this community collection twice yearly. During the April 2024 Drug Take Back, SSM Health collected 327 pounds of expired and unused medications across the St. Louis region. SSM Health collected 423 pounds in October of 2023
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The community is encouraged to clean out their old and unused prescription medications and drop them off at any of the following SSM Health ministries. MedSafe bins, used to collect unused prescription medications, are located in the lobbies at:
- New Location: SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital
- SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital – Lake Saint Louis
- SSM Health DePaul Hospital – St. Louis
- SSM Health St. Clare Hospital – Fenton
- SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital – St. Charles
- SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital – Wentzville
- SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – St. Louis
- SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital
SSM Health encourages the use of MedSafe containers to dispose of prescription and non-prescription medications in a hassle-free way. Disposals are free and anonymous, and no screening or check-in is required.