1 November 2017
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Free Service to Dispose of Unused Medicines Properly (DUMP)
Sophie Tummon, Pharmacist at O’Sullivan’s Pharmacy, with the HSE DUMP BOX for Unused and Unwanted medicines, at O’Sullivan’s Pharmacy, South Douglas Road, Cork.
Picture: Jim Coughlan.
A free service to dispose of unused or out of date medicines is available to the general public in Cork and Kerry from until Saturday, 18th November 2017.
The ‘Dispose of Unused Medicines Properly’ (DUMP) campaign has been organised by Cork Kerry Community Healthcare with the community pharmacists in Cork and Kerry and is supported by Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Kerry County Council, and the Southern Regional Waste Management Office.
Almost all pharmacies in Cork and Kerry are participating in the campaign and are actively encouraging people to return unwanted or out of date medicines to them so that it can be disposed of safely and properly.
Medicines can accumulate in the home for a variety of reasons e.g. unfinished courses of antibiotics or a condition/illness that is no longer a problem and subsequently the remainder of the medication is not used. Also, older people or someone with an ongoing illness can often have large amounts of medicine at home. Whatever the reason, the HSE and pharmacists would urge householders to take this opportunity to dispose of these unwanted medicines (prescription or over the counter) safely.
Louise Creed, HSE Pharmacist explains why people should take this opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted medicines and said:
“We would strongly urge people to take this opportunity to get rid of out of date or unused medicines. Medication can pose a real hazard in the home, particularly to children or other vulnerable people. Clearing out your medicine cabinet is something that should be done on a regular basis. Check all the dates and remove anything that is out of date or no longer required. As well as the hazards posed by overdose, accidental poisoning and damage to the environment, medicines can change when out of date and may end up being harmful.”
