P2D2 Program expands to Bureau County Illinois

Prescription drug disposal comes to Bureau County
Friday, August, 27, 2010

By Matthew Baker
lasallereporter@newstrib.com

The Prescription Drug Disposal Program (P2D2) that has been giving La Salle County residents a safe and convenient way to dispose of unneeded medication for more than a year is now spreading to Bureau and Hennepin counties.
Drop boxes have been set up in locations around the counties where people can anonymously dispose of any medication. The program is intended to keep unwanted and expired medications out of landfills and the water supply, where aging chemicals could potentially cause environmental problems. There’s also a safety reason for keeping unnecessary drugs out of homes.
“We’re trying to keep the drugs out of kids’ hands,” said Dawn Connerton, grant coordinator for the Bureau-Putnam County Health Department’s Community Partners Against Substance Abuse. “So many children are going into medicine cabinets and taking prescription and over the counter drugs and using them.”
Once collected the Spring Valley and Princeton police departments will incinerate the disposed drugs.
The P2D2 drop boxes are available at the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office in Princeton; Princeton Police Department; Spring Valley Police Department; Fawcett’s Pharmacy, Kirby Henning Pharmacy and Nelson Drug Store in Princeton; Granville Drug Store; Johnson’s Pharmacy and Thompson’s Drug Store in Spring Valley; and Perry Memorial and St. Margaret’s hospitals.
The Bureau-Putnam P2D2 program currently doesn’t accept syringes, but some La Salle County locations do.