More than 100 pounds of unused medication collected in Manatee County

BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - Manatee County residents turned in more than 100 pounds of unwanted prescription pills Saturday during HCA Healthcare’s annual “Crush the Crisis” drug take-back event.HCA Florida Blake Hospital and HCA Florida Braden River Emergency partnered with the Bradenton Police Department and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office to host the collection. This lets people safely and anonymously dispose of medications that may be left over from surgeries or other medical visits.The event is an effort to prevent prescription drug misuse by keeping powerful medications out of home medicine cabinets, where they can be found and abused by family members or friends.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, national drug overdose deaths continued to decline in 2025, but prescription drug misuse remains a public health concern.Research shows many addictions and overdose deaths begin when people use medications obtained from someone they know.Since 2019, HCA Health