Operation Medicine Drop collects prescription drugs for disposal in Pitt County

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) -An event Thursday gave eastern Carolina residents the opportunity to drop off any unwanted medicine they have lying around.

Operation Medicine Drop was hosted by ECU Health, Safe Kids Pitt County and the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, so people could dispose of expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs, or over-the-counter medications.

It also helps to keep any medications out of the hands of children and keeps them out of the environment, providing an alternative to flushing the pills.

According to Safe Kids, more than 67,000 children go to the emergency room due to medicine poisoning each year.

Ellen Walston with Safe Kids Pitt County says, “We want to make sure there is not easy access to medication. Folks don’t realize when you keep it in your medicine cabinet how easy it is for someone to get to it visiting your home or touring your home for an open house.”

Since 2010, Operation Medicine Drop campaigns have successfully incinerated more than 260 million pills through permanent drop boxes.

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