Dispose of
Your Unused, Unwanted or
Expired Medications Properly!
Public interest in safe, environmentally-responsible disposal of unwanted,
unused or expired medications has grown in recent years. New to
The Price County Sheriff’s Department and Park Falls Police
Department have placed a Medication Drop Box within their Department to provide
for year round collection of unused, unwanted or expired medications. The
Medication Drop Box at the Price County Sheriff’s Department can be accessed 24
hours a day, 7 days a week while the Medication Drop Box at the Park Falls
Police Department can be accessed between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday
through Friday.
It is recommended that household pharmaceuticals be managed
as follows:
- REDUCE pharmaceutical waste whenever possible.
- Use
all antibiotics as prescribed by your doctor. Not using all doses of an
antibiotic could lead to development of antibiotic resistant strains of
bacteria.
- Buy
only as much as can reasonably be used before the expiration date. For
example, don't buy 500 aspirin just because it's cheaper unless you will
use them all.
- When
your doctor prescribes a new medication, ask the doctor to prescribe only
enough to see if the medication will work for you and at the lowest dose
advisable. That way, if the medication doesn't suit you, there is less to
waste. Do the same for your pet's medications.
- Reconsider
the use of products that claim to be antimicrobial or antibacterial.
Washing with plain soap and water has been demonstrated to be as
effective as using antibacterial soaps. Even the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend plain soap in its hand washing
procedure.
- DISPOSE of the remainder properly.
- Whenever
possible, take your unused, unwanted or expired pharmaceuticals to the
Medication Drop Box. If you choose to store your medication before
depositing it in a Medication Drop Box, please minimize the risk of
accidental poisoning, overdose or diversion (illegal use by someone other
than the intended person) by storing medications out of reach of children
or in a locked cabinet.
Please remember, dumping unused, unwanted
or expired pharmaceuticals down the drain or flushing them down the toilet and
into a septic system can lead to drugs finding their way into the groundwater
and posing a risk to the water source. Storing unused, unwanted or expired
medications in your home can lead to increased risk of accidental poisoning and
drug diversion and theft. Please act responsibly and collect your unused,
unwanted or expired pharmaceuticals and bring them to your closest Medication
Drop Box. You may black out your name
but please leave the name of the medication on the label.
The Medication Drop Boxes will be
emptied on a regular basis; the medication will be stored in a secure room within
the Price County Sheriff’s Department or Park Falls Police Department, sorted
for disposal, and transported to a burn site to be destroyed. This process
protects the environment and our community.
