Operation Medicine Cabinet helps dispose of old medicine

Wednesday, October 14, 2009 11:45 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend |

MOCKSVILLE — What do you do with your unused medications after they are no longer viable? Do you toss them in the trash? Flush them down the toilet? Dump them in the sink?

The answers to all those questions should be no. Putting old medication in the trash can result in a child or pet ingesting them. The drugs can also seep out of their containers and contaminate the soil. Taking the toilet or sink route isn't much better. These drugs can end up contaminating the water supply, leading to illness in humans, pets, livestock and wildlife.

Home Instead Senior Care, Davie County Senior Services and the Mocksville Police Department are partnering to provide a service to Davie County to help protect seniors and the environment.

The Lexington office of Home Instead has scheduled Operation Medicine Cabinet on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Davie County Senior Services, 278 Meroney St.

Seniors or their family members, can simply drive up to Davie County Senior Services where members of the Police Department and Home Instead will oversee the drop off of medications into secure containers to be properly disposed of by the Police Department.

This program is a way to help seniors from accidentally using expired medications as well as safeguarding them from the potential for theft of medications from their homes.

For more information, contact Sarah Chambers with Home Instead at 336-249-1011.