Local Program Helps Residents Properly Dispose of Medicines

Written by Whitney Cyr

As a result of an initiative by Norfolk District Attorney Mike Morrissey, the town of Westwood is participating in a program to properly dispose of medicines, both over-the-counter and prescription.

The program has been implemented for a year and Public Health Nurse Mary Beechinar said residents have utilized the service frequently. There is a medicine collection box located in the lobby of the Westwood Police, available 24 hours a day and seven days a week for residents to dispose of medicine instead of flushing them or putting them down the drain.

“Medicines end up in the ground water and it becomes contaminated,” Lorraine Donovan, of the Westwood Board of Health, explained. The pills that are flushed or thrown down the drain end up in the town’s water, and as a result, “we end up drinking that water,” she said. 

Donovan explained the program came from the Norfolk district attorney’s office, and the program is also being implemented in other towns in the area, including Norwood, Needham and other towns throughout Norfolk county.

“We have a problem with these medicines getting in the wrong hands,” Beechinar said. Beechinar gave examples, including children thinking the medicine is candy and a guest opening the medicine cabinet of a bathroom and taking a pill he or she isn’t prescribed.

Beechinar said the medical collection box program of disposal is anonymous. She encourages residents to cross their names off the medicine bottle or to take the label off prescription medicine. Loose pills can’t be accepted.

“Even if they’re in a plastic baggie, we can accept those too,” she explained. It’s not only prescription drugs that will be accepted, over the counter medicines apply as well, in addition to creams and ointments. Beechinar said syringes, needles, and inhalers can’t be accepted.

The police then transport the unused medicine to a facility where it’s incinerated, so it won’t contaminate the ground water and it won’t fall into the wrong hands, potentially saving lives and also preventing misuse.

“We need to do whatever we can to help,” she said.  “It’s just a good habit to get into to properly dispose of our medicines.”