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The Blue Ridge Poison Center from Uva Health, Pharmacy, offers secure medication disposal tips

With more than 62 percent of all poisonous exposure cases across the country, in which medication are involved, the Blue Ridge Gift Center and the Uva Health pharmacy share the safest approaches for the storage and disposal of medication.

As part of the national week of national poisoning, UVA health encourages people to keep all medication outside of the vision and reach of children, to read labels carefully before specifying or taking medication, and checking their houses for expired or non -used medication and disposing them properly. This includes prescription drugs, over -the -counter drugs, vegetable medication and nutritional supplements, vitamins and skin preparations.

“The remaining or unwanted drugs” in the case “is a poisoned accident that is waiting to be able to happen,” said Kristin Wenger, the educational coordinator of the poison center. “Removing these products from home is the only way to ensure that they don't fall into the wrong hands.”

Medicinal disposal options

Many people don't know the safe and right way to get rid of medicine, said Wenger. If possible, bring them to a drug-take-back container.

Uva Health offers safe intake of eight of its pharmacy locations in Central Virginia and in Shenandoah Valley:

Detailed instructions are visible on the outside of each container. A drawer on the top of the container is large enough to keep most medication bottles. As soon as the drawer closes, it drops the medication into a secure warehouse box that is not accessible to everyone except pharmacy staff. The containers only accept prescription and over -the -counter drugs.

“We are pleased to provide community members with several comfortable options in order to dispose of unwanted or expired medication safely and safely,” said Justin Vesser, outpatient pharmacy director at Uva Health.

For people who cannot access a drug control closure, the Blue Ridge Poison Center recommends the Federal Food and Drug Administration guidelines:

  • Mix With something uncomfortable, such as coffee matters or Kitty garbage.
  • Location in a sealed plastic bag or another container.
  • Throw The container with household waste.
  • Scrape out Label information about prescription bottles before throwing it away.

Wenger and her colleagues in the Poison Center want to remind the public that many poisoning is avoidable, and expert aid is only a call away and available around the clock.

“If someone accidentally occupies the wrong medicine, does something that is neither food nor medicine or overdosed in any medicine, call the Poison Center immediately at 800.222.1222 free of charge, confidential, expert,” she said. “Program the number on your cell phone and publish it somewhere in your home.”

Further tips and resources for poisoning prevention can be found on the website of the Blue Ridge Poison Center at www.brpc.virginia.edu.