Safe disposal locations available for safe disposal of medications

Editor’s note: This version lists other dropoff locations in the area left out of the original version including at Gary & Leo’s Fresh Foods.

People in this part of north-central Montana have numerous locations where people can dispose of medications, reducing the chance of abuse or accidental use of prescription or over-the-counter medications.

"The MedSafe disposal is for controlled substances, non-controlled substances and over-the-counter medication," Bullhook Community Health Center Pharmacist Cindy Brandon said. "It serves a purpose rather than somebody throwing their medication away, flushing it down the toilet. It is put in a locked safe and then, when it fills up, it is sent off to an incinerator."

The Bullhook MedSafe is just inside its lobby at 521 Fourth St., while Northern Montana Hospital has one inside its second-floor main entrance at 30 13th St. and one is inside the entrance at the Havre Police Department at 520 Fourth St., and another is at the Health Mart Pharmacy at Gary & Leo’s Fresh Foods at 730 First Street.

Other medication dropoff locations in the area include Rocky Boy Health Center at 6850 Upper Box Elder Road, Big Sandy Pharmacy at 158 Johannes Ave., Chinook Pharmacy at 300 Indiana St. and Chester Pharmacy at 30 Main Street.

A list of safe medication disposal locations can be found online on the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration website at https://apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1 .

U.S. Food and Drug administration recommends people safely dispose of any drugs or medications they no longer use or that are expired, saying a person's medication is only for them and what is safe for one person might be harmful for another.

The proper disposal of unused medications is a vital strategy for aiding in the prevention of prescription drug abuse, Northern Montana Hospital said when announcing the installation of its MedSafe last year. Removing the medications from a home eliminates the possibility of accidental ingestion and misuse. Many times, especially with pain relieving medications, the supply given may not be used in full, offering the opportunity for someone else to abuse the medication.

Brandon said controlled substances include prescriptions such as hydrocodone, morphine and oxycodone, and non-controlled substances can include blood pressure medication like lisinopril and the antidepressant sertraline.

Over-the-counter medications would include Tylenol and ibuprofen, for example, she said, and added that medications can be disposed of whether they are expired or not.

The deposit is for solid prescription and non-prescription medication only - no needles or liquids are allowed.

"I feel that (MedSafe)  has an advantage, as far as you don't have unused or unwanted medication in your home, as it is a safe place to take medication that is not being used or that is expired," Brandon said.

"We just want to make people aware that it's out there and that it is a safe way to dispose of used or unused medication," she added.