Grey Bruce Public Health (GBPH) is ready to launch its fourth annual Attacking Medication Misuse campaign.
This year's campaign will run from October 4-10, and focuses on giving people an opportunity to responsibly dispose of expired medications and pharmaceuticals in their homes. Jason Weppler, Manager of GBPH's Comprehensive Health Promotion program, says keeping expired meds in the home can be dangerous, as is just throwing them out in the trash or flushing them.
"Certainly if you've got young kids or grandkids in the home, or maybe even an older adult, we want to make sure these prescription medications are disposed of appropriately. That doesn't include flushing them down the toilet or sending them to the landfill. We'd like them returned to the pharmacy where they can be safely disposed of," Weppler said.
From October 4-10, people in the Owen Sound area can bring any expired or unused medications to the Shoppers Drug Mart on 16th Avenue East, and in exchange you will receive a voucher for a free ticket to any Owen Sound Attack home game this year.
Weppler notes that it's vitally important to not just flush or toss expired or unused meds, because the damage it can cause to the environment is significant.
"Putting them into the water system or into the soil system through the landfill, those products can leech into the soil and into the water and potentially damage the environment, the wildlife, or individuals that may be in contact with them in those areas, as well," he noted.
That also goes for leaving meds sitting around to potentially be found by young children or even older adults, as well, as consuming expired meds or meds that aren't meant for them can be very dangerous.
"A lot of these medications that people hang onto are maybe things that were prescribed post-surgery, so they can have some fairly serious consequences if they're consumed by someone who they weren't intended for, especially young children," Weppler added.
The campaign will run until October 10 or until all the ticket vouchers run out. Weppler does point out that all pharmacies accept old or unused medications year-round.
People who participate in the ‘Attacking Medication Misuse’ campaign will be asked to fill out a form at Shoppers Drug Mart to indicate what medication they are returning. This data will be collected by Public Health for reporting purposes, in accordance with applicable privacy requirements. No personal information is collected from the pharmacy or Grey Bruce Public Health.
When returning expired or unused medication to a pharmacy, residents are asked to put pills and tablets into a supplied paper bag and remove personal information from containers with prescription creams or liquids.
