Winchester Hospital Invites Residents to Participate in Winchester Medication Take Back Program

Winchester, Mass. — Medicines save lives. Those which are expired or unwanted, however, should be handled in a safe manner. Drugs that accumulate in medicine cabinets can contribute to accidental poisonings and illegitimate access that can lead to abuse. Much of the unwanted medicine that is flushed down toilets or thrown in the trash ends up in surface or ground waters, potentially impacting wildlife and aquatic organisms.
 
Through a partnership involving Winchester’s Coalition for a Safe Community, Board of Health, Police Department and Department of Public Works, Winchester Hospital invites residents to participate in the town’s third annual Medication Take Back program. The event, which is part of Winchester’s hazardous household waste collection day, is being held on Saturday, May 8, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Sons of Italy parking lot next to the Winchester transfer station at 117 Swanton St.
 
Lexington resident Yu-chi Hong-O’Rourke, director of pharmacy services at Winchester Hospital, is volunteering her time to accept unwanted and expired medication for free and safe disposal. Accepted medications include all prescription drugs; over-the-counter medicine; herbal products; vitamin and mineral supplements; and throat lozenges. Items not being accepted include cosmetics; antiperspirants; toothpaste and mouthwash; antiseptic and medicated skin care products; hard surface and toilet disinfectant cleaners; contact lens disinfectants; and sunburn protection products.
 
Medications may also be dropped off 24 hours a day at a kiosk located in the lobby of the Winchester Police Department at 30 Mount Vernon St. Residents are advised to cross out their name and address to protect their privacy, although the name of the medication should remain visible on the label. Certain medications are disposed of differently according to state and federal regulation.
 
For more information about the Winchester Medication Take Back program, call (781) 721-7121 or visit www.winchester.us.
 
About Winchester Hospital
Winchester Hospital is the first community hospital in Massachusetts to earn Magnet recognition, the American Nurses Association’s highest honor for nursing excellence. As the northwest suburban Boston area’s leading provider of comprehensive health care services, the 229-bed facility provides care in general, bariatric and vascular surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics, cardiology, pulmonary medicine, oncology, gastroenterology, rehabilitation, radiation oncology, pain management, obstetrics/gynecology and a Level IIB Special Care Nursery. Winchester Hospital has clinical affiliations with several nationally recognized hospitals in the region, including Children’s Hospital Boston, Tufts Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. To learn more, visit www.winchesterhospital.org.

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