Do you have a medicine cabinet full of medications you no longer use? What do you do with your medication when you no longer need what remains in the bottle? One California study found that the average American household houses 2.7 pounds of expired or unused prescription and over-the-counter medications.
For answers to medication disposal and how to handle sharps (needles), attend RiverView’s Thursday, February 28 Health Luncheon, “Medication Disposal and Sharps’’. Listen to RiverView Pharmacy Director Brian Erickson, PharmD, explain which medications go where and how to safely dispose of needles.
Keeping unused drugs around increases the risk that somebody other than you will get into them. Many accidental poisonings, especially of kids and the elderly, start in the medicine cabinet. Unused drugs are also a temptation for drug seekers. In a 2013 national survey, more than 50% of respondents who abused painkillers said they got them from family or friends—including their medicine cabinets.
Disposing of pharmaceuticals improperly also comes with its problems. Flushing is not the answer, as recent US Geological Survey studies have found traces of painkillers, estrogen, antidepressants, blood pressure medicines and a long list of other medications in water samples in over 30 states. Studies have linked hormone exposure to reproductive defects in fish, and environmental exposure to antibiotics to the development of drug-resistant germs.
Medicines play an important role in treating certain conditions and diseases, but they must be taken with care. Unused portions of these medicines must also be disposed of properly to avoid harm.
Luncheon Details
The luncheon will be held in Meeting Room #1 of RiverView Health, 323 S. Minnesota Street, beginning at noon. Meeting Room #1 is located near the RiverView Clinic entrance on the north side of the building and across from the elevators on first floor.
The luncheon series is in its 21th year of sponsorship by RiverView Health. All men and women interested in improving their health are invited to attend. Each luncheon starts a few minutes past noon and luncheons are kept under one hour so those needing to return to work can attend. Pre-registration is required. A boxed lunch can be purchased for $3, but must be ordered while pre-registering for the event. Call Holly Anderson at 218-281-9745 for additional information and to pre-register.
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