WICOMICO COUNTY PRESCRIPTION DRUG DROP OFF BOXES SUCCESSFUL

(Salisbury, MD) Drug Free Wicomico, Wicomico County Prescription Drug Task Force, Culver Enterprises and the Wicomico County Health Department are excited to announce that four hundred eighty-one pounds of prescription drugs have been collected in Wicomico County since September 2012.  “We realized there was a need for stationary sites where people could anonymously dispose of unused and expired medications all year long.  Due to the hard work and diligence of many, we were able to launch the Prescription Medication Disposal program on August 30, 2012,” says Lori Brewster, Health Officer for Wicomico County.   “This would not have occurred without the commitment of the Enforcement Agencies, Drug Free Wicomico, the Wicomico County Prescription Drug Task Force, Culver Enterprises, and the Wicomico County Health Department who are committed to reducing prescription drug abuse and increasing the safety of our citizens in Wicomico County.  Four-hundred eighty-one pounds of prescription drugs are off our streets due to this collaborative effort!”

Wicomico County has four Prescription Medication Disposal sites for the community to safely and anonymously dispose of expired and unused prescription medications.  Sites and times are as follows:  Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office (Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00); Fruitland Police (Monday-Friday 8:00-4:00); Delmar Police (Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00); Salisbury Police (Monday-Sunday/24 hours a day).  Personal information should be removed from the original container prior to dropping it off at one of the sites.  Prescriptions drugs, over-the- counter medications, vitamins, and pet medications are accepted.  No liquids, needles, thermometers or bio-hazard materials are allowed.    

Prescription medication abuse is a concern among communities across the United States.  Two-thirds of teens who report abuse of prescription medicine get them from friends, family and acquaintances.  Unintentional drug overdoses in the U.S. now outnumber traffic fatalities, and prescription drug abuse is the sad reason why.

Residents are encouraged to change their thinking about prescription drugs by monitoring, securing, and disposing of them:

Monitor:

• *Start by noting how many pills are in each prescription bottle;
• *Keep track of your refills;
• *If your teen is prescribed a medicine, be sure to control it and monitor the dosages and refills;
• *Make sure others, like grandparents, are aware of the risks. Encourage them to monitor their own medications;
• *Talk to other families where your youth frequents about the importance of monitoring and safeguarding their medications.

Secure:

• *Take prescription medications out of the medicine cabinet and put them in a locked cabinet and/or prescription lock box;
• *Advise others of securing their medications as well.

Dispose:

• *Discard expired or unused prescription and over-the-counter medicines at one of the four Wicomico County drop off locations;
• *If throwing any medicines in the trash, dispose within undesirable substances, like kitty litter, coffee grounds, etc;
• *Do not flush the medicine down the drain or toilet;
• *Before disposing of prescription bottles, remove identifiable information from the prescription bottle to prevent unauthorized refills.

For more information or to get involved in the effort to reduce prescription drug use/abuse in Wicomico County, please contact the Wicomico County Health Department at (410) 219-7544.