SALISBURY ó Area residents can safely dispose of expired or unused prescription drugs during Operation Medicine Cabinet on Saturday.
The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at The Medicine Shoppe, 1357 W. Innes St.
Drive up and drop off your expired and unused medications, including controlled substances.
Sponsors are The Medicine Shoppe, Home Instead Senior Care, Salisbury Police and Rufty-Holmes.
In recent years, unintentional prescription drug abuse has emerged as the second leading cause of accidental death in the United States.
Even more alarming is the occurrence of prescription drug abuse among teens, with 2,500 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 expected to abuse a prescription painkiller for the first time each day.
Pharmacist Teresa Casmus of The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy in Salisbury said remembering to dispose of unused and/or expired prescription medications is a critical step in addressing these alarming trends.
ěBy fighting this problem directly at the source, you can easily reduce the risks for your family and others who have access to your medicine cabinet,î Casmus said in a press release. ěYou also can talk to the pharmacists at The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy to learn more about drug security so that we can work together to make Salisbury a better and safer place to live for everyone.î
To rid your medicine cabinet of expired or unused prescription medications, Casmus offers the following suggestions, which are in line with the U.S. Food and Drug Administrationís federal guidelines for proper disposal:
If applicable, follow any specific instructions for disposing the drug on the label or patient information that comes with the medication.
Do not flush unwanted medications down the toilet unless the medicationís label or information calls for it.
If specific instructions are not available with the medication:
ó Remove them from the original containers.
ó Mix the medications with a displeasing substance to make them less appealing to people or pets likely to rummage through trash.
ó Place the discarded medications in a sealable bag, can or other container to prevent from leaking or breaking.
When in doubt, talk to a pharmacist.