MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — Residents in Missoula dropped off more than 100 pounds of prescription medication for disposal at an event Saturday.
KECI-TV reports that health officials ask people to get rid of medications when they expire, but not to throw them away or flush them down the toilet, because the chemicals can get into the water supply. Pharmacy student Sarah Stafford, who helped staff one of the drop-off sites, said it's not safe to keep old prescriptions around the house because they can get into the wrong hands, or they can be confused with other pills.
Numbers from the Montana State Crime Lab show that prescription drugs were a factor in almost 600 deaths last year. In the first half of 2012, they were involved in 312 deaths.
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Information from: KECI-TV, http://www.keci.com
