Do you have old prescriptions taking up space in your house? Perhaps a bottle of blood pressure medication that went unused after your doctor changed the dosage or a half-empty bottle of antibiotic medicine from your child’s last bout with a cold, or maybe that expired tube of cream that the vet prescribed for your pet’s skin infection.
Instead of waiting for the semi-annual drug drop-off events in town, for your convenience, the BOW Drug / Alcohol Action Committee (BOWDAAC) donated a new prescription drug disposal receptacle that now has a permanent home in the Orange Police Department lobby.
The process is simple, just bring your old, unused or unwanted prescription medications to the OPD and drop them into the box. The box is right near the front door, so you don’t have to interact with anyone, you don’t have to empty the containers or remove the labels because once they are inside the box, they go directly into a large bag and no one else touches them or looks at them.
The drugs will be incinerated (disposed of properly) along with collections from other police departments.
Commissioner Christopher Carveth suggested circulating a flyer to the schools about the box since children’s prescriptions expire quickly and shouldn’t be left around the house.
Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts for disposal:
Accepted: Prescriptions, Prescription Patches, Prescription Medications, Prescription Ointments*, Over-the-Counter Medications, Vitamins, Samples and Medications for Pets
Not Accepted: Needles (sharps), Medications from businesses or clinics, Ointments*, lotions or liquids, Thermometers, Inhalers, Hydrogen Peroxide and Aerosol cans.
