CARTHAGE — A recent event held at Carthage Area Hospital collected 62.5 pounds of “unused, expired, or unwanted prescription drugs” that can now be safely and legally discarded, organizers say.
Representatives from the hospital, State Sen. Patty Ritchie’s office, and police agencies collected the medications during the event, dubbed “Shed the Meds,” on May 4.
The goal of the three-hour drug take-back, held at the hospital’s main campus, was to help “eliminate the potential abuse of unwanted prescription medications while also protecting the environment and regional waterways from improper disposal,” according to a news release posted on the Carthage Area Hospital website.
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“Responsibly disposing prescription drugs that are expired or unwanted is critical to protecting the environment, as well as public health and safety,” Ritchie said in the release. “My sincere thanks to Carthage Area Hospital and local law enforcement for teaming up to help people ‘shed the meds,’ and safely get rid of medications they no longer need.”
This was at least the third time since 2014 that Carthage Area Hospital, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, and the Village of Carthage Police Department joined Sen. Ritchie to help North Country residents ‘shed the meds,’ the hospital said.
“It demonstrates our commitment to proper medication use as well as keeping our communities safe while guarding against unused and potentially dangerous prescription drugs falling into the wrong hands,” said Christopher M. Bradley, clinical pharmacist at the hospital, said in the release.
In June 2016, a similar event collected roughly 92 pounds of unwanted prescription medications.
Carthage Area Hospital was established as a not-for-profit rural community hospital in 1965. It operates today as a fully accredited 25-bed critical access hospital, serving about 83,000 residents in Jefferson, northern Lewis, and southern St. Lawrence counties. The hospital also operates a network of community-based clinics, including its Family Health Center, Pediatric Clinic, and Women’s Way to Wellness.
