What Is This All About?
The Rice County community is serious about preventing medication misuse or abuse and environmentally unsafe medication disposal practices. “Take It To The Box” promotes the safe use, storage, and disposal of medication. Click on the blue MN icon to watch a brief video about prescription drug abuse in Rice County.
Starting September 22, 2009
Faribault and Northfield police departments will provide medication disposal boxes. These “drop off” boxes will accept over-the-counter medications, prescription drugs, and animal medications from community members.
Disposal Box Locations
Faribault Police Department
25 4th St. NW
Faribault, MN 55021
Click here for map and directions
Open 24 hours everyday
Northfield Safety Center
300 5th St. W
Northfield, MN 55057
Click here for map and directions
Open 24 hours everyday
Guidelines for Medication Use,
Storage, and Disposal
Safe Use
· Read and follow directions on all medications.
· Take the recommended dose…not more, not less.
· Take the medicine the number of times and the frequency recommended.
· Do not share your prescription medicines with another person.
· Do not take someone else’s prescription medicine.
· Know the names of your medications and their purpose.
· Pharmacists and doctors can answer your questions about over-the counter medicines…..just ask!
Safe Storage
· Keep medicines in a place away from children, teens and guests. Lock up medicines if necessary, especially narcotics or mood altering medicines.
· Keep medicines in their original bottle or package.
· Keep medicines in a cool, dry place away from the light.
· Follow storage directions on the medicine.
Safe Disposal
· Take old or unneeded medications or drugs to the medication disposal box at the Faribault or Northfield Police Department beginning in September, 2009.
· Leave the medicine in its original package or bottle.
· Cross off your name or other personal information. Do not cross off the name of the medicine.
· Before September, 2009, store unused or unneeded medicines in a locked place OR get them wet, mix with coffee grounds or cat litter, and put in a container in your trash.
· Do NOT flush medications down the toilet
Information provided by: The National Council on Patient Information and Education & ConsumerMedSafety.org
Medication Disposal and the Environment
United States Environmental Protection Agency
www.epa.gov
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
www.pca.state.mn.us
For more information or to get involved in the Take It To The Box medication disposal program, call 507-664-3524, 507-332-5911 or send a message to ricecountychc@gmail.com.
