 MEDICATIONS,
PRESCRIPTIONS, AND EXPIRED, UNWANTED PILLS AND SUCH: The Take Back
event welcomed bags of unwanted medications all morning. The medications
will be incinerated Pictured here, from left, Terry Krohn, Pharmacists
Harold Raburn and Bob Miller, Heather Easton, Amy Elwood and Mark
Rossman, of Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Denver, CO. Back row,
law enforcement official Captain Brad Butler of the Phelps County
Sheriff’s Department and Rhonda Johnson, PMHC Public Relations
Coordinator.
JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS: Heather
Easton of Two Rivers Public Health just had three questions to ask of
each car load as they dropped off their unwanted medications at the
First Prescription Take Back event at PMHC. The event filled barrels
with prescriptions and medications that were no longer needed.
Pharmaceutical Take Back Event
The first Pharmaceutical Take Back event welcomed 48 automobiles as
their drivers brought in old, expired or not needed medications,
vitamins and prescriptions on Saturday morning. The circle drive to the
west of Phelps Memorial Health Center served as the staging area. Those
dropping off their medications simply drove through as Two Rivers Public
Health officials offered curb service for each car.
Many of those dropping off their pharmaceuticals thanked the group for
the event and said they were very glad to have this opportunity to
safely dispose of their medications.
Two Rivers Public Health Department and Phelps Memorial Health Center
jointly sponsored the Take Back event. Also working the event were Clean
Harbors Environmental Services and Registered Pharmacists Harold Raburn
and Bob Miller who oversaw the prescriptions and sorted according to DEA
regulations for incineration.
Two Rivers Public Health Department officials Heather Easton, Amy
Elwood, Terry Krohn and Destinee Steinke organized and worked the take
back event.
"We are seeing an alarming trend of teens abusing prescription
medication from their medicine cabinets at home. By getting some of the
medications out of homes, we can help keep the prescriptions from being
abused or intercepted and abused by someone else." stated Heather
Easton, Two Rivers Wellness Coordinator, and coordinator of the take
back.
"We used to recommend flushing old medications," said Bob Miller, PMHC
pharmacist. "That is a thing of the past. We are now finding medications
in our groundwater, and this type of event can help keep our water
cleaner. Please don’t dispose of your medicines by flushing or throwing
them away. It is well worth your time to save them for an event such as
this."
"Even if you throw your medications away with your trash," said Terry
Krohn, Director, Two Rivers Public Health Department, "They will leach
into the groundwater from the landfill. These take back events can
safely dispose of medications for you. We had a nice turn out in
Holdrege, and we are planning more events in other Two Rivers counties." |
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