RITCHIE, CARTHAGE AREA HOSPITAL AND VILLAGE OF CARTHAGE POLICE DEPARTMENT TEAM UP TO ‘SHED THE MEDS’

State Senator Patty Ritchie, Carthage Area Hospital and the Village of Carthage Police Department are encouraging those with expired or unwanted prescription medications to mark their calendars for a ‘Shed the Meds’ event that will take place on June 16th.

Held in an effort to protect the environment and our waterways, as well as eliminate the potential abuse of unwanted prescription medications, the event will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Carthage Area Hospital lobby, located at 1001 West St, in Carthage.

“Take a look in your medicine cabinet, and odds are that you’ll see prescriptions that are expired or no longer used,” said Senator Ritchie.

“The goal of this event is to provide people with a safe, responsible way to get rid of medications.  I would like to thank Carthage Area Hospital, as well as the Village of Carthage Police Department for being part of this effort to protect the environment, as well as the public health.”

“Our hospital strives every day to promote the health and well-being of those in our community, and this is just one more way we are working toward that goal,” said Rich Duvall, Carthage Area Hospital CEO.

“We are hopeful that on June 16th, people will take advantage of this opportunity to bring their medications to the hospital and properly dispose of them.”

Please note, any unused or expired medications will be accepted, with the exception of needles, syringes, liquids, creams, ointments.

The June 16th event continues Senator Ritchie’s efforts to protect the environment and prevent prescription medications from ending up in the wrong hands.  Recently, she hosted a ‘Shed the Meds’ event at Gouverneur Hospital, and as a result, more than 120 pounds of medications were safely disposed of, bringing the total weight of prescriptions drugs eliminated through her events to nearly 600 pounds.

Those who are unable to attend the June 16th ‘Shed the Meds’ event can dispose of unwanted or expired medications during regular business hours at the Jefferson County Public Safety Building, located at 753 Waterman Drive in Watertown.