In an effort to keep unused medications out of the wrong hands and out of
the environment, Mid Coast Hospital and Parkview Adventist Medical Center
in Brunswick have particpated in community medication collections. 
Unused, outdated, and unwanted prescription, over-the-counter, and veterinary medications, including pills, ointments and drops, were collected at the West Bath Fire Department, Richmond Senior Center, Parkview Adventist Medical Center, and the Highlands in Topsham.
After the collection, they were sorted by pharmacists and hospital staff members. Controlled substances were separated from over-the-counter and other medications. Local law enforcement was on hand to oversee the sorting.
“The purpose of these collections is to keep these items from being disposed of in a way harmful to the environment,” says Ann Pistell, and environmental specialist with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. “It also keeps these substances out of the hands of youngsters and others who may unintentionally misuse the medicines,” she says.
More than four large 55 gallon barrels of medications weighing well over a quarter ton were collected and kept out of inappropriate waste streams.
“This is just the top of the enormous iceberg,” says Mid Coast Hospital’s Marla Davis who is one of the coordinators of the collections which began three years ago. “What I am hoping for is funding for a statewide program that all Maine people could easily utilize.”
With
the encouragement of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the
collections are a collaborative effort of all area law enforcement agencies,
Mid Coast and Parkview hospitals, CHANS Home Health Care, TRIAD, The Highlands,
Sagadahoc Emergency Management Agency, Sagadahoc Health Improvement Project,
Sagadahoc Weed and Seed Program, and the Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Nursing.
To learn more or to find out about future collections, call Mid Coast Hospital’s
Healthline at 373-6585.