Unwanted Medication and Sharps Disposal Day on June 11

Lowell, Massachusetts - The City of Lowell will be hosting an Unwanted Medication and Sharps Disposal Day on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, from 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm at the Health Department, located at 341 Pine Street in Lowell. This free event is open to all members of the community who are invited to bring their unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications, liquid medications, inhalers, sharps (including syringes, lancets, EpiPens, and pen and pump needles), and expired Narcan to the Lowell Health Department to be disposed of. At the event in March 2019, 255 pounds of unwanted medications and over 300 pounds of sharps were collected.

The Unwanted Medication and Sharps Disposal Day is part of the City of Lowell’s efforts to reduce the high number of opioid and other prescription medication-related incidents that occur in Lowell by removing medications, which could be misused or abused, from residents’ homes. According to the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, two-thirds of teens and young adults who report abuse of prescription medications are getting it from friends, family, and acquaintances. Kerran Vigroux, Director of Health and Human Services for the City of Lowell, urges residents to “remove unwanted medications from your home to help eliminate the risk that a teen or young adult could have easy access.”

As an additional way to educate community members on the importance of safeguarding prescription medications, the Lowell Health Department will continue to work with Walgreens Pharmacy on Plain Street in Lowell to disseminate important tips to its pharmacy customers, through the “Help Keep Kids Safe” campaign. During the weeks leading up to the Unwanted Medication and Sharps Disposal Day event, Walgreens Pharmacy staff will be distributing educational flyers in hopes that more residents will understand the importance of safeguarding prescription medications and take part in the Disposal Day event. Approximately 2,000 flyers will be distributed in June.

More information can be found by calling 978-674-4304.