Expired, leftover or unneeded medication should be safely disposed of as soon as possible. This reduces the chance of the medication being accidentally ingested or intentionally misused. It also helps reduce the amount of medication that is entering the environment.
But how can you safely dispose of unwanted medication? Let’s take a look.
Medicine Take-Back Events
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regularly hosts National Prescription Drug Take-Back events. Temporary collection sites are set up in communities all over the US for safe prescription drug disposal. Local law enforcement agencies also frequently sponsor medication take-back events.
Here are some local prescription drug take-back locations:
- Ripley County Sheriff’s Department, Versailles, 24 hour
- Ripley County Health Department, Versailles, non-controlled substances only
- Batesville Police Department, Batesville, 24 hour
- Margaret Mary Community Hospital Pharmacy, Batesville
There are also medication take-back locations at many local events, such as the Ripley County 4-H Fair.
Potentially Dangerous Medicines
Some medicines can pose significant risks when not disposed of properly. If your medication comes with disposal instructions, follow the instructions. Otherwise, if your medication is on the FDA’s list of medications recommended for disposing of by flushing and you didn’t receive disposal instructions along with the prescription, you should flush the unneeded medication if a take-back option is not readily available.
Prescriptions that contain controlled substances can be especially harmful if taken by someone other than the patient, so they should never be thrown in the trash, as there could still be an opportunity for a child or pet to accidentally ingest the medicine. According to the FDA, accidental pediatric exposure to medicine causes approximately 60,000 emergency room visits and 450,000 calls to poison control centers in the US each year.
If your child has been injured due to poisoning, contact the Schuerman Law office today. Schuerman Law has been working with personal injury claims for over 40 years. John Schuerman will compassionately advocate for injured individuals as well as their families while fighting for full compensation of their claims. Schuerman Law offers evening and weekend appointments in addition to home and hospital visits. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 1-800-274-0045.
