Drug Disposal Pouches Available at Ranzenhofer District Office

A limited number of Deterra Drug Deactivation Systems are now available at the District Office of State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer.  The drug disposal pouches offer an effective, safe opportunity for residents to properly discard expired or unwanted medications, including prescription pain relievers and controlled substances.

“Properly disposing of medications stops them from getting into the wrong hands, and drug disposal systems are one way to help save lives in communities all across Western New York,” said Ranzenhofer.  “I encourage residents to stop by my district office and pick up one of these convenient drug disposal systems.”  

The medication disposal systems deactivate pills, liquids and patches with a little warm water after 30 seconds.  The pouches can be placed in the normal trash without harming the environment.

Residents can visit Senator Ranzenhofer’s District Office–8203 Main Street, Suite 4– during normal business hours, Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., to obtain a free drug disposal system.

The new availability is part of a partnership between the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals to distribute 20,000 of the Deterra Drug Deactivation Systems throughout Western New York.

“We are tremendously thankful to Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals who have supplied us with 20,000 of these drug disposal pouches that we are distributing throughout Western New York.  Disposing of unwanted or expired household medications helps to deter experimental use by adolescents, poisoning of young children or drug misadventures in our elderly, while keeping our water supply safe.  These pouches make it very easy to dispose of a patient’s unwanted, unused or expired medications,” said UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Senior Associate Dean Karl D. Fiebelkorn.

The first 1,000 pouches were handed out during Senator Ranzenhofer’s Family Health Fair in August.

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