By Karen Dolan, Cacilia Jensen and Ashley Yaugher
Many of us have been in a situation in which the medication we were prescribed is no longer needed and as a result that leftover medication plagues our medicine cabinets. What do we do with the leftover medicine? Should I throw it away in the garbage can? No. Should I flush it down the toilet? No. What is the best way to dispose of unused or expired medication?
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) guidelines for proper drug disposal states that the best and safest way to dispose of medications is to drop the medication off at a drug take back site. Leaving unused or expired medications around the home can put family members at risk of not using the medication as intended, increasing the risk of overdose. Make sure your medications, specifically prescription medication, do not end up in the wrong hands and dispose of them properly at a drug take back site. Not only is it important to prevent the risk of overdose, but also most medications are not safe to flush and can contaminate water sources, which ultimately includes drinking water.
What are our local resources for medication drop boxes? See below:
Locations of Medication Safe Drop Boxes
Boyd’s Pharmacy
25 West Main Street
Castle Dale, Utah 84513
Castleview Hospital
300 Hospital Drive
Price, Utah 84501
Castleview Urgent Care—Pinnacle Peak Pharmacy
317 East 100 North
Price, Utah 84501
Carbon Medical Service
305 Center Street
East Carbon, Utah 84520
East Carbon Police Department
101 West Geneva Drive
East Carbon, Utah 84520
Emery Medical Center
90 West Main Street
Castle Dale, Utah 84513
Green River Medical Center
585 Main Street
Green River, Utah 84525
Helper Clinic
125 S Main Street
Helper, Utah 84526
Helper Police Department
97 South Main Street
Helper, Utah 84526
Price City Police Department
910 North 7th East Street
Price, Utah 84501
To learn more:
Please register for and attend our FREE Community Education Dinner on Nov. 4 at USU Eastern from 5 to 8 p.m. We will be discussing this and much more over a meal and have an expert question and answer panel after the presentation. Register on Eventbrite by visiting https://communityeducationdinner.eventbrite.com
