April 27, 2012 – What do you do with left-over medicines in your medicine cabinet?
Hopefully you don’t just throw them in the trash or flush them.
Letting them sit in the medicine cabinet, especially as they become expired or are simply no longer needed, isn’t a good idea either.
Prescription drug abuse is a rising problem by today’s teens, so in addition to securing your medicines, it is likely a good idea to make sure that you don’t have extra medicines lying around the house, where teens can get to them. There is also the chance that a toddler or preschooler will accidentally ingest these extra medicines or that you will take or give someone an old or expired drug.
So how should you get rid of them?
One of the easiest way is to take them to a nearby collection site on National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which just happens to be tomorrow, April 28.
From Rockwall to Weatherford, you can go to one of the many collection sites across the Dallas – Fort Worth area to safely dispose of all of your unused medicines. Most of the collection sites are hosted by your local police department or sheriff’s office and will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The service is free and anonymous – no questions will be asked when you drop off your medicines.
Last October, Americans turned in 377,080 pounds (188.5 tons) of prescription drugs at over 5,300 sites operated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and nearly 4,000 state and local law enforcement partners in all 50 states.
Help prevent pill abuse by getting rid of your unused pills on National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
Blue Ribbon News special contributor Vincent Iannelli, M.D. is a board certified pediatrician and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is the author of The Everything Father’s First Year Book, which is now in its updated, second edition. His office, in Rowlett, has been serving the Lake Ray Hubbard area for the past 15 years.
Connect with Dr. Iannelli on Facebook at facebook.com/LakeRayHubbardPediatrics.
To submit your news and events, or a guest column on your area of expertise, email editor@BlueRibbonNews.com.
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