OHSWEKEN – Six Nations Police Services and Ohsweken Pharmasave have partnered for this year’s drug drop-off day to bring awareness on safe ways to dispose of expired or near-expired drugs.
This Friday, May 20, the two organizations are asking community members to visit Pharmasave from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and bring their expired or close to being expired prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
“The actual National Prescription Drug Drop-off Day day is Saturday, May 21, but we chose to host ours on Friday so more people would drop by,” said Ashly Monture, community service co-ordinator for the Six Nations Police. “There will be a tent set-up outside Pharmasave and the pharmacist, police and members of Pharmasave’s staff will be there to help educate and accept the drugs.”
Monture said that this is the third time Ohsweken has participated in the drug drop-off day. She said it is a judgment free event and that it is important for people to bring in their expired drugs.
“We want people to know that they can bring expired drugs to the pharmacy at any time, this Friday is just an opportunity for the community to learn why it’s important and how easy it is to get rid of their expired drugs,’ said Monture. “We will take prescription or over-the-counter drugs.”
According to the Prescription Drug Drop-off Initiative: Evaluation Toolkit, promoting both the safe storage and disposal of prescription, over-the-counter and other drugs helps reduce the harms associated with certain prescription drugs. It also helps to reduce the amount of drugs available in people’s homes for possible diversion and accidental poisonings.
Prescription drop-off initiatives are important because unused and inappropriately stored drugs can be used by other people for whom they were intended for, leading to accidental poisonings or non-medical use.
“We really want people to know the proper ways how drugs can and should be disposed of,” said Monture.
