Wellington County OPP encourages residents to purge medicine cabinets of unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs.
When expired and unused prescription medication is left unattended, it can lead to prescription drug abuse.
Prescription Drug Drop-off Day was developed as a public safety initiative to encourage Ontario residents to dispose of old and unused prescription medication in a secure, environmentally-friendly manner.
Police agencies and health organizations are working together again this year to remove those medications, which they say are a public health and safety issue.
Local OPP will be participating in a province-wide initiative that will provide residents with an opportunity to dispose of old and unused prescription medications.
This year’s Drop Off Day will be in several communities throughout Ontario on May 10, between 10am and 3pm. People wishing to dispose of outdated, unused and unwanted prescription drugs may do so anonymously at the location nearest them often without having to get out of their vehicles.
The Controlled Drug and Substances Act (CDSA) prohibits anyone from possessing oxycodone or any other prescribed medication without a prescription.
It is a criminal offence to offer or sell a prescribed medication to another person. Purchasing another person’s prescribed drugs is also illegal. Prescription drug misuse is the use of prescription drugs for non-medical purposes.
Common prescription drugs being misused are opioid pain relievers (such as oxycodone), anti-depressants, and stimulants.
Recent studies indicate 24 per cent of teens reported misusing prescription medications at least once within the previous year. Most of the teens took the medication from their family home.
Prescription Drug Drop-off Day is supported by the OPP, Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP), the Government of Ontario, and Public Safety Canada.
The public is also reminded that they can drop off any unused medications at any time to their local pharmacist.
The location available to drop off unused and unwanted prescription drugs for Wellington County is the Centre Wellington OPP Operations Centre in Aboyne, at 470 Wellington Road 18.
