CARMEL – Unwanted and expired medications have been safely destroyed thanks to the efforts of a small army of volunteers who spent Saturday at Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel in conjunction with Medication Take Back Day.
Members of the Putnam Communities That Care Coalition, Putnam County Department of Health, Putnam Hospital, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Kent Police Department and the New York Poison Control Center, joined forces and provided a safe, convenient, and anonymous means of disposing prescription, over the counter and pet medications, while educating the general public about the potential for misuse and the dangers of improper medication disposal.
At the end of the day, organizers reported 284 pounds of medications had been collected along with 281 pounds of sharps which Kristin McConnell, Director of the Prevention Council of Putnam said was a “growing need for safe sharps disposal in Putnam County.”
Putnam Hospital continues to accept sharps/syringes (no medications) Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the main lobby.
For those who missed the drop-off and desire to surrender unwanted medications, drop off boxes are found at the Putnam Sheriff’s Office, Carmel and Kent PD headquarters and at town halls countywide.
