With overdoses soaring, drug return program has new urgency | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Kelowna News

With overdoses soaring, drug return program has new urgency

Expired medication is seen in Toronto on Thursday, April 9, 2015.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Overdose deaths are at record levels in the province and residents are being reminded of the importance of properly disposing of unneeded medications.

That’s the message from the Central Okanagan Regional District and the B.C. Pharmacy Association, which remind people that opiods used for pain control can have deadly consequences if used the wrong way.

B.C. residents can bring in any kind of expired or unused meds to a variety of location anytime of the year at no charge, with the goal of diverting them from the landfill, not to mention children and pets.

Last year, residents returned 4,600 kilograms of medications to 49 community pharmacies, up 163 per cent since the program’s inception in 2009.

Credit: Contributed

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