Learn How to Secure and Dispose of Prescription Medications

Prescription medications have become an important part of our lives. They help us manage pain or treat a health condition. But what do we do with them once they have expired or are no longer needed? How do we make sure they are safe and secure while we are using them?

You can dispose of them in prescription-drug drop boxes, now available throughout Windham County. The drop boxes allow for the safe, anonymous disposal of expired or unwanted prescription medications that could otherwise be misused or end up in our environment.

The non-medical use of prescription drugs such as Oxycodone continues to raise public safety concerns. Unfortunately, we have to be aware of how our medications are stored and disposed of in order keep them out of the hands of those who may misuse them. Seventy percent of users of non-medical prescription pain relievers obtain their drugs for free from a friend or relative. Most of the time, these medications are taken without our knowledge or permission. Teens frequently say they were able to get prescription medications from their parent or grandparent’s medicine cabinet.

What can you do to safely secure your medications?

• Keep your medications locked or hidden.
• Keep count of your medications.
• Talk to your family about the dangers of abusing prescription medications.
• Make sure your children or grandchildren know they are not to be used or shared.
• Properly dispose of all prescription medications once expired or no longer needed.

How does prescription medication disposal work?

• Collect all expired or unused prescription pills or patches and place in disposable bag.
• Drop off medications at the most convenient box near you.
• The process is completely anonymous. 

Items that cannot be taken:

• Medical equipment or accessories (needles, syringes, Epi-Pens, inhalers, etc.)
• Any liquid materials
• Bloody, infectious or business waste

Locations near you:

• Bellows Falls Police Department: 170 Rockingham St., Bellows Falls (open 24/7)
• Windham County Sheriff’s Department: 11 Jail St., Newfane (open 7am-10pm daily)
• Brattleboro Police Department: 230 Main St., Brattleboro (open 24/7)

For more information about prescription drug disposal efforts and other initiatives to prevent the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, contact the Greater Falls Prevention Coalition at www.gfpcandtheline.org or 802.463.9927.

Chad Simmons is media coordinator for the Greater Falls Prevention Coalition, whose mission is to connect the community of Windham Northeast by inspiring and empowering people through education and collaboration to promote wellness and prevent the abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.  

“Old age ain’t no place for sissies,”  Bette Davis said. Well, sissies or not, we’re all headed for that place. And the better we know the geography, the easier it will be to navigate.

“Aged in Vermont” is a monthly article on aging issues, organized by Westminster Cares. We’re asking local professionals and residents with an interest in these issues to write them.

The articles are not just reading material for the “aged.” Young, old and middle-aged readers  ­– anyone with an elderly parent, relative or friend, or who just wants to learn about these important issues that affect us all ­– is invited to take a look. Remember: “It’s not how old you are; it’s how you are old.”

We address such topics as losing a pet, sleeping problems, supplements, advanced directives and creativity. We explore questions such as should I move to town? and decision making: whose life is this anyway?

Ideas for future columns? Would you like to write one? We’d like to hear from you. Email Ronnie Friedman at wecares@sover.net.