Scammers Try To Collect Expired Medications

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June 9, 2022

Press Release Provided

Recent reports out of Oklahoma City exposed a scheme to obtain medications illegally. Scammers had gone door to door asking residents to dispose of expired or unused medication. Scammers said they were from a local pharmacy. The motive for the crimes is likely to divert the medications for abuse or resale. (No pharmacy does this, it is illegal.)

Although no crimes have been reported locally, the Beckham County Coalition for Drug Prevention would like for residents to be aware of the fraud and the risks of drug diversion for abuse. ‘Our coalition would like to remind people to check for expired medications or unused prescriptions in their household and take action to secure them or dispose of them in a safe manner.’ said Steve Berry, an Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, coalition member, and employee of South Western OK Development Authority. ‘Most expired or unused medications can simply be flushed down the toilet. If you are concerned about that method, the Beckham County Coalition has free at-home disposal kits that will render the medications unusable and safe to put in the garbage.’

Other local options are to put the meds in a Drop Box to be collected and destroyed by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. In Beckham County, drop boxes are located at the Beckham County Sheriff’s Office and the Elk City Police Department. If you are concerned that someone in your home might divert and abuse your medications, the Beckham County Coalition also offers free lock boxes.

To learn which medications can be flushed, visit the Food and Drug Administration website. To contact the Beckham County Coalition to get a free at-home disposal kit and/or medication lock box, please call Steve Berry at 580-562-5043. The coalition is a group of concerned citizens working together to decrease the impact of Opioids in Beckham County. The Coalition will meet June 27th, 11:30am at the SWOSU Sayre Campus Administration Building. Meetings are open to the public and any County resident is welcome to join.

The Beckham County Drug Prevention Coalition is funded by a grant from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). The grant administrator is South Western OK Development Authority in Burns Flat, OK.

Copyright 2022 Paragon Communications. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.

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