The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) announced today with its American Medicine Chest Challenge (AMCC) initiative, the nation’s largest privately funded public health campaign preventing prescription drug abuse, the release of a mobile App ‘AMCC Rx Drop’ connecting users to the locations of permanent prescription drug disposal sites, like the Mendham Township Police Department, for the collection of unused, unwanted, and expired medicine.

 This free App, sponsored by the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA), will link to the AMCC directory of local, county and state law enforcement sponsored permanent collection sites in New Jersey, including the Mendham Township Police Department located at 3 Cherry Lane in Brookside. Currently, the app links to hundreds of collection sites in 41 states across the country. It is available in both the Apple and Android stores.

“Having 24 hour access – in the palm of your hand—to the locations of permanent collections boxes will help parents and grandparents protect the young people in their lives by safely disposing of their unused, unwanted, and expired medicine,” explained PDFNJ Executive Director Angelo M. Valente. PDFNJ works in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Human Services and the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. 

“GPhA has been a longtime supporter of the AMCC and this new App will provide an important new tool to help us achieve our shared goal of ensuring that medications made to improve the quality of lives are not abused,” said Ralph G. Neas, President and CEO of GPhA. “The generic pharmaceutical industry is committed to working with all stakeholders to put a stop to the problem of prescription drug diversion in the United States and help make certain that caregivers and family members are not alone in this fight.”

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy reports 70 percent of people who abuse prescription pain relievers obtained them from friends or relatives, and, there has been a 400% increase in substance abuse treatment admissions for people abusing prescription drugs.

 Prescription drug abuse results in one death every 19 minutes in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Valente encouraged all residents to take the American Medicine Chest 5-Step Challenge:  taking inventory and securing medicine in the home, disposing of unused, unwanted, and expired medicine, taking medicine only as prescribed, and talking to children about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

PDFNJ Chairman, Joseph A. Miele explained, “AMCC is based on the success of the nationally recognized Operation Medicine Cabinet New Jersey (OMC-NJ). OMC-NJ was the first in the nation statewide day of disposal, held in November 2009 with a one day, four-hour, state-wide event that netted over 9,000 lbs. of medicine, with a street value of over $35 million, while simultaneously garnering over a million dollars in in-kind media attention on the issue of prescription and over the counter drug abuse.” He noted that the program was recognized in the 2010 Drug Strategy of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy , the New Jersey Ad Club, Jersey Shore Public Relations and Advertising Association, the Public Relations Society of New Jersey, and the National Association of Government Communicators.

 AMCC is sponsored by PhRMA, The American College of  Emergency Physicians, Generic Pharmaceutical Association, the Partnership at DrugFree.org, Catalent Pharma Solutions, Covanta Energy, and Consumer Healthcare Products Association.