Old Prescription Medication Drop-off Sept. 29 in Port

Editor's note: The following information is taken from a press release from the Starting Point of Ozaukee Inc.

The ease of access to both prescription and nonprescription medications has often led to their use by youth and young adults with unhealthy and sometimes tragic consequences. Prescription drugs have the potential to be highly addictive and can devastate families and destroy futures. The Office on National Drug Control Policy and Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America have emphasized recently that the Surgeon General  has cited non-medical use of prescription pain killers is epidemic in our country with one in five young adults reporting that they have abused a prescription drug. Similarly, one in ten youth ages 10 through 17 report they have abused over the counter cough medicine to get high.

Home medicine cabinets have become the supply base for many young people. Parents, grandparents and friends' parents unwittingly become the suppliers of pharmaceutical controlled substances. Of particular concern is nonmedical use of medications by adolescents at a period in their life when they are at greatest risk for drug experimentation but also for impeding healthy brain development or developing a substance abuse disorder or addiction.  

Along with our youth, our environment is at risk when unused or outdated medication is flushed into our wastewater. Inappropriate disposal of medications can have a negative environmental impact by being leached into the ground water. In addition, some drugs are not removed through current purification methods allowing for unintended inclusion in our water supply.

Local law enforcement agencies address the issue of access by providing ongoing collection of unused or out-dated prescription only medication at their departments. To supplement these collections multiple community sectors have come together to offer broader “take back” collections at two drive-thru sites in the county. Ozaukee County Public Health Department and Invest Health Coalition, Concordia University School of Pharmacy Student Pharmacists Association, Ozaukee County ATOD Prevention Consortium, Starting Point of Ozaukee, Columbia-St. Mary’s Hospital Pharmacy, Mequon Police Department, and the Ozaukee Sheriff Department are supporting this awareness and collection effort.   

Accepted are prescriptions and over the counter medications, prescription liquids, ointments and creams, veterinary medications, vitamins and herbals. Not accepted are illegal drugs, needles/sharps, bio-hazardous material, personal care products such as shampoo/deodorants or household hazardous waste (ex: paint, cleaners and batteries).

Ozaukee County Highway Department’s new Transit Garage at 741 W. Oakland Ave., Port Washington, and Concordia University Pharmacy School, 12800 Lake Shore Drive, Mequon, are the two collection locations. They will be open from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. on Saturday, September 29. Questions may be directed to Ozaukee County Public Health Department at 262-284-8170 or Starting Point of Ozaukee, Inc. at 262-375-1110.