Safe Disposal of Unwanted Medications

By Diane Lee, Public Information Officer, Garrett County Health Department

Unused medications can be the precursor to many problems – the risk of having someone take the medicine for whom they were not prescribed, the harm if accidentally taken by a child or pet, and the danger, or even death, if not used as directed.

“Unused or expired medications are often kept right in your home, in your bathroom, your kitchen, your bedrooms, and your purses,” said Sadie Liller, Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Coordinator at the Garrett County Health Department. “You can protect your family by safely disposing of unused or expired medications before they can do harm.”

Garrett County has three locations to safely dispose of unused and unwanted medications: Garrett County Sheriff’s Office, Oakland City Hall, and the Maryland State Police Barracks in McHenry. On October 23rd, four and a half pounds of medications were turned in at the drop boxes, which means that four and a half pounds of medications can not be misused by landing in the hands of the wrong person. In addition to the medication drop boxes, the health department can also provide Deterra pouches, a safe and convenient pouch that deactivates prescription drugs, pills, patches, liquids, and creams and can then be disposed of with household trash.

For more information about the medication drop boxes or the Deterra pouches, visit the AddictionHappens.org website, or contact the Garrett County Health Department at 301-334-7730.