[Pharmwaste] collection program in Beloit, WI

[Tenace, Laurie]

Sorry I don't have a URL for this article

Beloit Daily News, WI - Mar 30, 2007
Rx for safety Program aims at discarding prescriptions
By Rasmieyh Abdelnabi
Daily News staff writer

Beloiters needing to get rid of outdated prescription drugs can do so April
21.
The Rock County Rx Roundup will be held 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Beloit Fire
Department's Station 2, 2111 Cranston Road.
On Nov. 11, the Rock County Health Department held its first "Rock County Rx
Roundup: Old Pills Can Kill" event at the Rock County Highway Shop in
Janesville. The event is not open to businesses - just individuals. The
following items will not be accepted: radioactive materials, chemotherapy
drugs, sharps and needles. The program is free of charge, confidential,
pre-registration is not required and drive up service is available. 
Participants are asked only their zip code to help the health department
figure out what parts of the county they need to service more efficiently.
On Nov. 11, the event helped gather 228 pounds of pills for incineration.
More than 130 vehicles used the drive-through service to drop off
prescription and other drugs. The April 21 event will be the fifth pill
roundup in the state. Similar events were held in Marshfield, Green Bay and
Milwaukee.
"It is something that was very well received at the last collection," said
Rick Wietersen, a sanitarian with the health department. "Since the last
collection, we've had a lot of calls from people asking when are you going to
have the next one."
The health department hopes to turn this event into an annual occurrence in
the county.
"We're hoping to have it at minimum once a year and hopefully twice a year,"
he said.
This event is done for environmental and public safety reasons. Collecting
the drugs helps prevent them from going into surface and ground waters,
Wietersen said. Deformities have been found in certain species of fish as a
result of pills ending up in bodies of water. And while there has been some
effects on humans, there isn't a great deal of research on the subject to
provide any definitive conclusions, Wietersen said.
As for the public safety concern, drugs can get in the wrong hands, he
explained. Young people can come across drugs - whether prescription or
uncontrolled - and misuse them.
"A lot of people tend to keep these drugs in their medicine cabinets and
don't know what do with them," Wietersen said.
Drive up service is offered because it is more convenient and helps law
enforcement agents keep tabs on uncontrolled substances. Members of the
Beloit Police Department and Rock County Sheriff's Department will be
present. All narcotics are received by law enforcement agents.
Ninety percent of the drugs will go to a collection firm in Madison, which
will incinerate the pills. Local pharmacists will identify the drugs, putting
them into two categories: Controlled and uncontrolled.
Disposal costs are about $500, which the city of Beloit will pay. The health
department will supply the employees at the event and cover the $500 in
advertisement costs.
"It's going to be quite the community effort," Wietersen said.
For more information, contact the health department at 364-2010 or 757-5441.


Laurie J. Tenace
Environmental Specialist
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 4555
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400
PH: (850) 245-8759
FAX: (850) 245-8811
Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us 

Mercury web pages:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/mercury/default.htm

Unwanted Medications web pages:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/medications/default.htm




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