Spring Cleaning? Don't Forget Your Medicine Cabinet

When old medications are left to collect dust inside the medicine cabinet, they can become potential sources of poisoning to young children or may be accessed by teens experimenting with drugs.

The Texas Panhandle Poison Center of the School of Pharmacy will host a Lubbock Medication Cleanout™ from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 30. Drop-off sites will be at United Market Street at 50th Street and Indiana Avenue and the Mae Community Center at 19th Street and Oak Street.

Jeanie Jaramillo, Pharm.D., director of the Texas Panhandle Poison Center, encourages residents to clean out their medicine cabinets and bring in any unused, expired or unnecessary medications for proper disposal.

“Flushing or throwing old medications into the trash may contaminate the environment, pollute our drinking and ground water and harm aquatic creatures,” Jaramillo said. “Also, nationwide trends indicate that pharmaceutical abuse is second only to marijuana abuse. This is a proactive approach to safeguard our communities by providing a free and convenient way for people to dispose of these medications in a free, legal, environmentally sound and convenient manner.”

The event will be conducted using a drive-thru; drop-off format and signs will be posted. To date 3,900 pounds of unneeded medicine has been collected at Medication Cleanout™ events. These medicines are no longer a threat for poisoning, abuse, misuse or environmental contamination.