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A man walks into the Hall of Justice in October 2019 in Casper. The Casper Police Department has temporarily closed its drug take-back box.

A man walks into the Hall of Justice in October 2019 in Casper. The Casper Police Department has temporarily closed its drug take-back box.

The drug take-back box at the Casper Police Department is temporarily closed, but residents have a few other options for disposing of medication.

Police said in a statement Wednesday that Wyoming Medical Center, the department’s partner for the take-back program, “is pausing part of its drug take back operations” for the time being.

It’s unclear why the program has been paused or how long the closure will last. A spokesperson for the Casper Police Department did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.

WMC spokesperson Mandy Cepeda said in an email that the hospital used to incinerate medical waste on-site at the police department, but are now shipping it to a third-party “and may not be able to take on the police department’s waste materials.”

Resident Bob Dundas said his wife tried to dispose of some old medication at the police department earlier this week, but found the box locked.

“It’s such a great service,” Dundas said. “It’s a benefit to the community to have a safe way to get rid of our old prescriptions, or over the counter, or whatever they may be, instead of having them lay around your house where problems can occur.”

Properly disposing of medication means it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands and reduces the risk of accidental poisoning and abuse, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. That’s particularly important if you have young kids in the house.

It also keeps the drugs out of Wyoming’s waterways and landfills, reducing pollution. Most places that accept medications for disposal incinerate them.

Since 2007, the health department has run a medication donation program that accepts donations from around the state. Some drop-off locations are listed below, as well as an address where you can mail medication if you aren’t near any of them. If you work in a doctor’s office or pharmacy in Wyoming, you can also apply to have your office become a drop-off site by emailing wdh-rxdonationinfo@wyo.gov.

The department can re-dispense unopened medication that isn’t close to expiring, in a program that serves lower-income and unhoused people in the state. It covers people making less than 200% of the federal poverty line — $27,180 for one person, $36,620 for a two-person household and so on.

To apply to receive medication through the program, you can fill out a form on the health department’s website.

According to the department, more than 88,000 pounds of medications and medical supplies have been processed for redistribution since July 2008. More than 150,000 prescriptions, worth a total of over $25 million, have reportedly been filled through the program since it began in 2007.

Pharmacies at both Casper Walmarts accept old medication for disposal. Just take your meds to the counter and they will handle it — unopened pills can be donated to Healthcare for the Homeless, and opened or expired meds will be disposed of.

Community Health Centers of Central Wyoming

The community health center on Blackmore Road can accept unopened medication that’s six months or more from expiring. Donations can be dropped off at the pharmacy between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The clinic works with the department of health to contribute to its donation and re-dispensal program.

Glenrock police have a disposal box in their lobby on Third Street, which is open 24/7. It cannot accept liquid medication or other forms including patches, but can take any pills, opened or unopened, for disposal.

You can use tools on the health department and DEA’s website to find disposal and donation locations around the state. You can also text your county name to (307) 370-2086 to get a list of nearby locations. Some may be out-of-date, so call ahead to make sure they can accept what you’re looking to get rid of.

If you’re too far from a donation site, you can mail medications to the health department, ℅ Wyoming Medication Donation Program, 401 Hathaway Building, Cheyenne, WY 82002.

The DEA also regularly holds drug take-back events around the country. The next one will likely take place in October.

Though it’s the “least preferred option,” the health department has DEA-approved guidelines for disposing of medication yourself (it’s still better than flushing it, or just tossing it in the trash unaltered). They recommend mixing pills with another “undesirable substance,” like cat litter or coffee grounds, in a disposable container before throwing it away. You should also remove or cover any personal information on prescription containers before getting rid of those.

At-home products like Deterra, DisposeRx or Rx Destroyer can also be used to deactivate medication before disposing.

Originally published on trib.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.