Rochester General Hospital is one of five New York hospitals participating in a new drug take back program aimed t reducing the public health and environmental impacts of unused medications.
Doug Hosie, RGH Director of Pharmacy says many people end up flushing unwanted medication down the toilet, but the chemicals in many medications are so small that they get through water filter systems.
Hosie says they also hope the program reduces the risk of addiction.
"You know if your physician orders you a prescription for 30 painkillers, Vicodin painkillers, and you use four because you didn’t have that much pain; well if you bring those back and dispose of them then the likelihood they would get diverted somewhere else is a lot less."
Drugs can be dropped off at a kiosk in the hospital lobby or people can used pre-paid mail back envelopes to send them back.
The program runs until July 2018.