Const. Ken MacDonald of New Glasgow Regional Police, Barb Smith of Pictou County Crime Prevention, and Debbie Davis of the pharmacy department at Aberdeen Hospital are shown with items dropped off Saturday during a prescription drug. KEVIN ADSHADE – THE NEWS
“Some of them have been expired for 15, 20 years,” said Debbie Davis, who works at the Aberdeen Hospital’s pharmacy program, and was on hand for the drop-off.
“It could be stuff that’s been in somebody’s medicine cabinet for years.”
Drugs containing morphine, codeine, oxycontin and sedatives were some of the old drugs collected. Prescription drugs can be easily accessed, Davis said, adding that anyone can drop off unwanted or expired prescription drugs at any local pharmacy, “no questions asked.”
“We see an increase in the misuse and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs, even among youth,” Const. Ken MacDonald said, explaining why police wanted to get involved with the drop-off again this year.
The local crime prevention association is also now in the developmental stages of a pharmaceutical drug awareness campaign.
