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South Valley Riverton Journal

New prescription drug drop box at Petersen’s Fresh Market

Nov 07, 2018 03:40PM ● By Jana Klopsch

Members of the Healthy Riverton committee celebrate the installation of a new prescription drug drop-off box at Peterson's Fresh Market. (Riverton City Communications)

By Mariden Williams | [email protected]

A new prescription drug drop box has been installed at Peterson’s Fresh Market Pharmacy in Riverton. Prior to the installation, Riverton had only two prescription drug drop boxes: one at Intermountain Riverton Hospital and one at the Unified Police Department’s Riverton precinct building.

The drop box installation came to fruition through a collaboration between Intermountain Healthcare, Riverton City’s Healthy Riverton committee and Peterson’s Fresh Market. The idea came about in a Healthy Riverton committee meeting where committee member and Intermountain Healthcare Community Health Manager Nathan Peterson suggested that another drop box was needed in the city. 

Utah has the seventh-highest drug overdose rate in the country. Every week, six Utahns die from an opioid overdose.

“Leftover prescriptions are responsible for much of Utah’s opioid addiction,” said Peterson. “In fact, 74 percent of Utahns addicted to opioids currently get them from a friend or family member. Prevention needs to be part of the community solution to this problem, and drop boxes are part of that solution.”

Opioids aren’t like antibiotics, where you need to finish the full prescription for maximum efficacy. The sooner you stop taking them, the better. As soon as you don’t need them anymore, it’s best to dispose of them, or you could be at risk of developing a dependency or addiction. 

Community members are encouraged to use the new drop box and to urge others to do the same. 

“This drop box will make disposal of leftover or expired prescription medication very convenient for members of our community,” said Lisa Carter, chair of the Healthy Riverton committee. “We hope that people will use this drop box to help ensure prescription medications don’t fall into the wrong hands or become misused.”

The drop box at Peterson’s Fresh Market Pharmacy, located at 1784 West 12600 South in Riverton, is open to the public Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.