Little Elm installs permanent medicine Take-Back drop box

Residents of the Town of Little Elm and surrounding communities will no longer have to wait to dispose of their unused or expired medications. The Town of Little Elm recently installed a permanent medicine Take Back drop box at Little Elm Pharmacy, located in the Lakeshore Crossing Shopping Center at the intersection of Lobo Lane and W. Eldorado Parkway.

"We're proud to have it," Little Elm Pharmacy Pharmacist Brad Brennan said. "We're so glad the town chose us."

Public Works Supervisor Bill Harp said for years, the "proper" thing to do was flush medicines down the toilet. Now, scientists are finding minute traces of medications showing up in the water supply, which the Environmental Protection Agency and the Drug Enforcement Administration are starting to believe is contaminating environment and water supply.

"[The EPA and DEA] have taken the approach that the best way to eradicate them [medicine] is to incinerate them," Harp said.

The new permanent drop box, which is one out of only six locations in the state, will properly dispose of medications by sending them to a state-approved incinerator. The Little Elm Police Department will be closely monitoring the drop box and will pick up the unwanted medicine periodically. Harp said the unwanted medicine will be treated as evidence once picked up, and will be sealed and contained in the evidence room until enough is collected to take to the incinerator.

"I think it's great. It's all about the environment," Harp said. "There is no new water being produced, so we need to safeguard what we have."

Brennan said the process of dropping off the medication is pretty simple. His pharmacy has been participating in medicine take-back before the drop box was installed, and what he has seen dropped off the most are large bulk medications such as 90-day supplies.

"We don't see much of our stuff, the huge waste is of those bulk supplies," Brennan said.

Since the drop box is so new, Brennan said he hasn't seen a large amount of traffic using the drop box, but he expects that to change.

"When people find out about it, they've been coming back and putting [medications] in it," Brennan said.

As for the drinking water, Harp said there is nothing to worry about in Little Elm; the water is safe. The minute traces of pharmaceuticals scientists across the nation are finding in lakes are not dangerous, but it could be several years down the line. For now, it's a matter of looking ahead and protecting the environment and waters to prevent further contamination.

"I'm just happy to be able to keep it out of the landfills and out of the water supply," Harp said.

In 2011, Little Elm collected over 300 pounds of medication at two medication take-back events. Harp said the majority of what the town took back and disposed of was non-prescription medication.

"The second time we did the take-back, it so happened it occurred at the same time there was an EPA-sponsored event state-wide," Harp said. "Overall state-wide, 11,129 pounds were taken in."

Harp said Little Elm has received positive responses when hosting take-back events. Even at the regular Clean and Green events where unwanted medicine is not being taken back, Harp said people have asked about it.

"I think there is an interest in it," Harp said. "I'm not sure if it's widespread yet, but I think it will be."

According to a release, the drop box will also aid the Little Elm Police Department by lessening the chance that medications could be used illegally. Harp said it will also aid households in keeping medicine cabinets clean to lessen the chance of the accidental poisoning of a child.

The permanent drop box will accept unwanted prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, pet medications and vitamin/herbal supplements. The drop box will not accept needles, inhalers, aerosol cans and liquids.

Brennan encourages people to ask questions if they are concerned about dropping off medications before putting them into the drop box.

"We want this program to work right," Brennan said.

Unwanted medications can be dropped off from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays. Paperwork is not required to drop off medications in the drop box.

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