This Saturday, clean out your medicine cabinet! Instead of keeping leftover or expired medications in your home, drop them off for free disposal in Eau Claire or Altoona on Saturday, April 26 for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
Drop off your medications between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Altoona Police Department (1904 Spooner Ave., follow signs on the east side of the building) or at the Eau Claire County Government Center (721 Oxford Ave., in front of the main courthouse entrance). Both locations offer curbside service – no need to get out of your vehicle!
It’s anonymous, fast, and free. Just open your medicine cabinet, gather what you no longer need, and remove or cover up any personal information on the prescription label. Drive up to a drop-off site in Eau Claire or Altoona, roll down your window, and a volunteer will collect your medications at your vehicle.
What’s accepted:
- Prescription and over-the-counter medications
- Ointments
- Patches
- Non-aerosol sprays
- Inhalers
- Creams
- Vials
- Pet medications
- Sharps, which include needles, lancets, syringes, auto-injectors, and other sharps devices. Only one small container of sharps per household will be accepted at the Saturday event.
- Blister packages are acceptable if the medications haven’t been removed.
- Liquid medications, creams, and sprays must be in their original packaging.
Since 2012, over 42,000 pounds of medication have been gathered in Eau Claire County at Take-Back events and permanent medication drop boxes.
“Make it a habit to review your medications and dispose of any that are expired or no longer needed,” says Sarah Dillivan-Pospisil, Public Health Specialist with the Eau Claire City-County Health Department. “When you keep unused medication in your home, other people, kids, and pets are more likely to find it – which could lead to an overdose or accidental poisoning. Disposing of your medication could help save a life.”
If you can’t make it to the Saturday event, don’t hold onto your medications, flush them, or dispose of them in the trash. There are 11 permanent medication drop boxes available year-round in Altoona, Augusta, Fall Creek, and Eau Claire. Find a drop box near you by visiting www.echealthalliance.org/news/medication-drop-box-locations.
The National Prescription Drug Take-Back event is hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration and is coordinated locally by the Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Office, Altoona Police Department, Eau Claire City-County Health Department, and the Eau Claire Health Alliance coalition.
