Medication Disposal

Keep your unwanted medications out of the Fox River.

Here is some great information provided by the Fox Fresh: Medication Take Back Group.

Step 1:  Reduce the Quantity of Unwanted Medications

  • Purchase only as much as you need and take the medication as prescribed by your physician.
  • Centralize all medications in one location secured from children and pets. This may help to limit inadvertent over-purchasing of products you already have.
  • In order to preserve the quality of your medicines, store medications at proper temperature and humidity as recommended on the label. In some cases, this may NOT be the bathroom medicine cabinet.
  • Say “No” to physician samples if you are not going to use them.

      Do Not:

  • Flush medications down the sink or drain.
  • Place in the trash.
  • Give or sell to others.

Step 2:  Properly Dispose of Unused Medications

  • One Day Medication Drop-off sites
    One Day Medication Drop-off sites accept controlled substances.  The ongoing drop-off site does not.
    September 26, 2009
    Philips Park
    1000 Ray Moses Drive, Aurora
    11:00 am - 3:00 pm  
  • Ongoing Medication Drop-off sites
    Fox Metro Water Reclamation District 682 Route 31
    Oswego, Il 60543
    8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
    Monday - Friday

Acceptable Medications

Residents may bring in pills, salves, and liquid medicines in original containers; pills in separate bags and liquid or salves in non-leaking containers.  Labels on medications are not required.

Unacceptable Medications

Do not bring sharps, IV bags, thermometers or controlled substances to the Fox Metro W.R.D. drop off. Controlled substances will be allowed at all one day collections. Medications brought from nursing homes, clinics, doctor’s offices or other businesses that distribute medications are not allowed.

 

According to Fox Fresh Medication Take Back Group, the three main hazards are:

  1. Contamination of water resources, which can result in reproductive and developmental problems in fish and other aquatic wildlife if medicines are flushed or placed in the trash.
  2. Possible poisoning from accidental ingestion, particularly among young children and pets, if medicines are thrown in the trash.
  3. Illegal use or theft, including identity theft, from discarded containers providing personal patient information.


How do Pharmaceuticals Enter the Environment?

Pharmaceuticals have been found primarily in discharge from wastewater treatment plants and surface waters. Pharmaceuticals are also released into waterways via runoff from commercial animal feeding operations and aquaculture, and from fields where manure and biosolids have been applied.
How Can Medications Impact the Environment?

Expired or unwanted medicines, if flushed down the toilet or drain, are a source of pollution in wastewater. Because sewage treatment plants are not designed to deal with drugs, these chemicals can be released into streams, lakes, and groundwater and affect fish and other aquatic wildlife.

You might imagine that any substance safe enough for humans and pets to ingest as medication wouldn’t harm the environment. But that may not be the case. If our medicines are reaching streams, rivers, and lakes, organisms living in these habitats may be continuously exposed to these drugs. Some aquatic organisms living in waters downstream from wastewater treatments plants are showing signs of developmental and reproductive problems. Researchers are working to determine whether pharmaceuticals are causing these effects.

For additional information contact:
Debra Ness
630-301-6820, dness@foxmetro.dst.il.us