By: Moira Gargano, Congregational Care and Health Ministry
In September, Peter Boogart brought the problem of disposing of our medication to the Congregational Care & Health Ministry members’ attention. The problem with medication disposal is twofold: accidental ingestion and environmental impact. The FDA urges us to get rid of unused medication for safety reasons. Medication could be ingested dangerously, even fatally, by other household members and pets. To aid, the FDA has publicized a list of drugs that should be flushed down the sink or toilet. The second problem, is that substances from unused drugs have been found in water, raising concern for the health of marine and human life.
You can learn more through The World Health Organization’s publication, Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water (available online at who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/2011/pharmaceuticals_20110601.pdf). Michael E. Hochman, MD, MPH, urges more research to study the extent of unused pharmaceuticals seeping into water via landfills or sewage, and that flushing medication down the sink or toilet should be a last resort (The American Journal of Medicine, Vol 130, No.2, February 2017).
Confused?
What should I do with my unused medication?
According to Ottawa County Department of Public Health:
- Do not throw them in trash or flush them down the toilet.
- Leave the medicine in the original bottle.
- Scratch out any personal information on the labels
- Bring your medication to a drop-off location:
Holland
- Holland Police Department, 89 W. 8th St.
- Holland Department of Health, 12251 James St. Building C
CVS, 132 Douglas Ave. - Paul’s Pharmacy, 803 Lincoln Ave.
- Meijer Pharmacy, 746 E. 16th St, Holland and 3320 W. Shore Drive
- Skips Pharmacy, 700 Michigan Ave.
- Walgreen, 494 Butternut
Zeeland
- Zeeland Family Fare, 9479 Riley St.
- Zeeland Police Department, 29 W. Main St.
If you are unable to drop off your medication at any of the above places, perhaps family members or friends you trust can help you. Members on the Congregational Care & Health Ministry would also volunteer to help bring your medication to drop-off locations.
What should I do with needles (sharps)?
Put them in free home-use medical sharps containers, which are available to residents at any Ottawa County Department of Public Health office. Once containers are full, you may exchange them for new ones at those offices. Sharps containers obtained from other suppliers/organizations may be dropped off at CVS or other pharmacies.