TAMPA, Fla. — The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and partnering agencies collected nearly 1,300 pounds of medicine in total during the Operation Medicine Cabinet event today.
Operation Medicine Cabinet aims to educate the public on safe medicine disposal to prevent children from inadvertently ingesting medications and to raise awareness about prescription drug misuse.
Old prescriptions that are left lying around the house can frequently be a convenient source for those who are considering using prescription drugs inappropriately. They can also be dangerous for pets or kids who might inadvertently consume them.
Approximately 60,000 trips to emergency rooms and 450, 000 calls to poison control centers occur each year because of young children under the age of six taking medication without a responsible adult's supervision.
For elderly persons who may be taking many prescriptions, they might also be confusing.
Drop-off containers inside the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Administration
Building (Largo) and the North District Station (Dunedin) are open year-round.
The best approach to get rid of the majority of unused or expired medications (both prescription and OTC) is to drop them off right away at a drug take-back facility, site, or program. Some pharmacies have mail-back programs and other options to help you dispose of unneeded or expired medications properly.
Resources for safe medication removal:
