Prescription and non-prescription (Over the Counter, OTC) medications need to be properly disposed of in order to keep them out of the hands of drug abusers, children and animals, and to protect the environment. Safe disposal of medications is an issue for all of us to be concerned about. Trace amounts of some medications have been found in drinking water in some communities in Oregon. So, the old method of flushing unwanted medications down the toilet is not a good idea in most cases.
To provide a safe method to dispose of unwanted medications, the Deschutes County Sherriff’s office and Bend Police Department have a program where you can bring your unwanted prescription and OTC medications to their office or substations during regular business hours (Monday through Friday 8am – 5pm) for proper disposal. You will need to call ahead so an officer or deputy will be available to accept the medications and document the information needed for destruction. The following is a list of the office locations and their phone numbers.
Bend Police Department 555 NE 15th Street, Bend, OR (541) 322-2960
Main Sheriff’s Office 63333 W. Highway 20, Bend, OR (541) 388-6655
Sisters Substation 703 N. Larch Street, Sisters, OR (541) 549-2302
La Pine Substation 51340 Highway 97, La Pine, OR (541) 536-1758
Terrebonne Substation 8154 11th Street, Terrebonne, OR (541) 923-8270
The federal government has also produced guidelines on proper disposal of prescription drugs if you live in an area without a collection program. See the following website for details: www.WhiteHouseDrugPolicy.gov.
Protect yourself! Even empty prescription bottles can pose a problem. Please remember when you throw away your empty prescription bottles to be sure that all personal information has been removed. Remove your name and the prescription number from all of your empty prescription bottles to prevent someone else from using that information to steal your identity or try to fill a prescription in your name. Medical identity theft can be prevented following these simple guidelines. Use a black permanent marker to cover your name and prescription number, or use duct tape to cover the prescription number and name, or scratch off the name and prescription number. Sometimes a label can be removed completely, too.
