Nature of Incident: City announces pharmaceutical disposal site
Location: Thousand Oaks Police Department, 2101 E. Olsen Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA
Narrative:
Have you ever thrown away old medications or flushed them down the toilet and wondered what happened to them?
Studies have shown that 80% of the nation’s waterways contain trace amounts of pharmaceuticals as a result of improper disposal.
Even if thrown away in the trash, your medication may eventually find its way into ground water or stormwater runoff. In addition, storing unneeded medication in your home increases the potential for children to get their hands on dangerous drugs. Teenagers often help themselves to their parents’ prescription medications, which they then sell or trade among their peers.
As a community, we have not adequately addressed the social and environmental impacts resulting from the improper disposal of pharmaceuticals
To help solve this problem, the city council asked its staff to find a way to provide residents with a safe method to dispose of unneeded medications. As a result, the city’s public works department partnered with the police department and placed a pharmaceutical collection bin inside the lobby of the Thousand Oaks Police Department.
The collection box is a large metal container in which residents can deposit expired or unused prescription medications, as well as over-the-counter medications, during business hours. The police station is located at 2101 E. Olsen Road in Thousand Oaks and is open from 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The following items can be accepted for disposal: prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, medication samples, medications for pets, vitamins, medicated ointments/lotions, inhalers, or liquid medication in leak-proof containers, such as sealable plastic bags. The medicines should be left in the original container, but all personal information should be removed.
The following items cannot be accepted: needles (sharps), controlled substances, medical waste, or IV bags.
The collection box is not intended for commercial use. It is solely intended for local residents to properly dispose of their expired or unused household pharmaceuticals.
Hospitals, pharmacies and medical offices have their own mechanisms for discarding expired pharmaceuticals, and typically pay a fee for companies to properly handle and dispose of their discarded medications.
A similar program began in San Mateo County in 2006. Since its inception, the 19 bins throughout San Mateo County have netted an average 33 pounds of pharmaceuticals per bin each month.
Additional pharmaceutical disposal sites in our area can be found at the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station in Agoura Hills, the Camarillo Police Station, the Ojai Police Station, and the Fillmore Police Station.
For additional information on the pharmaceutical collection box, as well as information on the city’s residential sharps program and pharmaceutical mail back program, please visit the city of Thousand Oaks’ Environmental Programs website, www.toaks.org/GoGreen .
Officer Preparing Release:
Detective Eric Buschow
Follow-up Contact:
Detective Eric Buschow
(805)494-8226 / (805)947-8129
Date of Release: May 3, 2010
City of Thousand Oaks
John Brooks, Senior Analyst
City of Thousand Oaks Contact:
John Brooks
(805) 449-2472
Approved By: Cmdr. Jeff Matson
Address/Location
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
800 S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-654-9511
2101 E Olsen Rd
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360