Do you have unwanted medications to get rid of?
Flushing your unused or out-of-date pills down the toilet or washing them down the sink is a no-no, because the drugs end up in the wastewater system and contaminate the environment. Keeping them in the medicine cabinet could prove tempting for teens or people who abuse prescription drugs.
During Saturday’s “Take Back Your Meds” event, over-the-counter or prescription pills, patches and liquid medicines can be dropped off between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at four locations in Clark County. The locations below are set up for drive-through drop-offs.
• PeaceHealth Memorial Health Center, 100 E. 33rd St., Vancouver.
• Kaiser Permanente Cascade Park, 12607 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver.
• Kaiser Permanente Salmon Creek, 14406 N.E. 20th Ave., Vancouver.
• La Center Police Department, 105 W. Fifth St., La Center.
If possible, bring the medication in the original containers, which could be recycled as well as the medication, according to a PeaceHealth press release. A pharmacist will inspect anything unopened and unexpired for possible donation to the Free Clinic. The other medications will be collected by law enforcement and destroyed at a certified facility.
The drug take-back event is a cooperative effort among multiple local agencies. Last fall’s event collected 2,000 pounds of pills in four hours.
For a list of year-round medication and syringe disposal sites in Clark County, go to www.clark.wa.gov/environmental-services/unwanted-medications.
