Pharmaceutical Collection Event at Avista Adventist
Hospital
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - Louisville, CO -
Residents will be able to drop off their expired, excess,
and unwanted medications at a free pharmaceutical drop-off
on Sunday, October 26.
Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) and Avista
Adventist Hospital are sponsoring the event, which will be
held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Avista Adventist Hospital, 100
Health Park Drive, in Louisville.
"Instead of flushing medications down the drain where the
chemicals can enter our waterways, people can bring their
unwanted medications to the event so that they can be
properly disposed of," said Bill Hayes, pollution prevention
specialist for Boulder County Public Health (BCPH).
Most municipal wastewater treatment plants are not
designed to completely remove the chemicals and compounds
found in medications, so some are released directly back
into our waterways, where they can have an adverse impact on
the environment. Recent studies have shown that these
chemicals can affect our aquatic environments and even make
their way into our drinking water.
Items accepted at the pharmaceutical drop-off include:
- Prescription medications
- Over-the-counter medications
- Pills
- Liquids
- Trans-dermal patches (except for nicotine patches)
- Inhalers
For those who cannot attend the drop-off event, there are
other ways to properly dispose of medications:
- Pour liquid medications over cat litter or other
absorbent material and seal it in a plastic bag before
throwing it in the trash.
- Fill pill containers with household glue, remove all
personal information from the container, and place it in
the trash after the glue has dried.
- Cut trans-dermal patches into small strips, place
them in a container, and add glue or mix them with
coffee grounds or used cat litter.
To learn more about this event, visit
http://www.ci.louisville.co.us/calendar.htm and click on
the event link under Oct. 26, or call Boulder County Public
Health at 303-441-1574.
To learn more about PACE, visit
http://www.pacepartners.com/. |
