New program lets some Wis. residents ship drugs for disposal
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Residents in two Wisconsin counties will soon be able to send their unused drugs for safe disposal by a Milwaukee company.
The University of Wisconsin Extension, the state Department of Natural Resources and Capital Returns Inc., which disposes of pharmaceuticals, plan to start a pilot program next week in Waukesha and Winnebago counties.
The program is intended to keep unused prescriptions from entering the water supply when they are flushed down toilets or dumped in landfills.
Such programs are rare due to state and federal drug disposal laws, but there are some in the planning stage elsewhere. Wisconsin’s program will be available to about half a million people in the two counties, organizers said.
Some communities have take-back days, where people bring in their unused drugs for disposal, but this program will be bigger and easier for people to use, said Joanie Burns, chief of the DNR’s Hazardous Waste Prevention and Management Section.
To participate, people will need to call Capital Returns to request a prepaid label. They’ll then ship their unused drugs to the company for free disposal.
May 9, 2008 at 5:51 a.m.
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Redistributing prescription medications is a violation of Wisconsin law, and for good reason. Persons receiving prescriptions need to know that the drugs are what they are supposed to be, that they are not outdated and that they have been stored properly so that they have not been degraded by heat or cold.
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Our Rock County Health Department also has a program for collection of unused medications. The next RX Roundup is scheduled for Saturday June 7th at locations in both Beloit and Janesville. Watch the newspaper or call the Health Department for more information.
May 9, 2008 at 3:12 a.m.
Suggest removal
how is Capital Returns Inc., getting rid of them? flushing them in their toilet and keeping the $. It's easy to say I'll get rid of it safely. I guess I would like to know how they get rid of them. Is it regulated?
May 8, 2008 at 5:55 p.m.
Suggest removal
Redistributing old drugs is probably (and rightly) against the law. Unused is something that is probably only safely done on a small scale, with certain drugs that are less dangerous. Here is one such program:
http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v12/n12...
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More on the Wisconsin program here:
http://www.medadnews.com/News/Index.cfm?...
(The Capital Returns site does not have useful information easily accessible.)
May 8, 2008 at 2:51 p.m.
Suggest removal
WHY are we disposing of these drugs.. lets send them to a central place in wi and let low income people send there prescriptions there and get there drugs refilled.....we should be recycling these drugs esp if there not expired. Really and those from nursing homes should slso be sent there .. There is a large need for this pilot program hope someone picks it up.....................THERE HAS TO BE A SAFE WAY TO DO THIS ...........
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