Until now, U.S. laws have required patients or relatives of loved ones who had leftover prescription drugs in the home to dispose of them in the toilet or trash — the toilet being a terrible method because of our water supply and watershed pollution concerns.
Now, a new Drug Enforcement Agency regulation will allow pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and other authorized collectors to serve as authorized drop-off sites for unused prescription drugs, reports KTVU.
Under the new policy, long-term care facilities will also be able to collect controlled substances turned in by residents of those facilities.
Prescription drug users will also have permission to directly mail in their unused medications to authorized collectors.
(READ the story from KTVU)
Photo by Charles Williams, CC license
This is terrific news – especially for the wildlife in our lakes, ponds and streams!