Northern Light Blue Hill Hospital now has drug take back kiosk

BLUE HILL, Maine (WABI) - For those in Downeast Maine, there’s a new option to getting rid of unwanted or expired medications.

Northern Light Blue Hill Hospital now has a drug take back kiosk in its lobby.

Until recently, the state’s drug take back program required law enforcement to pick up the meds and bring them to another location to be destroyed.

Thanks to a rule change, now specially registered pharmacists can oversee the process.

As soon as that happened, hospital officials say they immediately jumped on board.

They say it’s important to do everything they can to address the opioid overdose and addiction problem in the area.

“We know that most people getting into trouble with opiates start with prescription meds. Whether they’re abused, whether they’re borrowed, whether they’re stolen, whether they’re their own meds, that’s where they come from. So we do everything we can to limit prescribing and then we don’t want any leftovers lying around to be stolen, borrowed, tempting in the future,” said Mike Murnik, MD, Blue Hill Hospital senior physician executive.

The kiosk is accessible 24/7.

They take all medications, not just opioids.

The only rule is no loose liquids.

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