San Mateo County's medication disposal program is emerging as a model for similar initiatives nationwide, the San Jose Mercury News reports. In the four months that the pilot program has been operational, the county has collected 590 pounds of expired and unused drugs at a cost to the county of $924.
The program was launched out of concern about environmental effects of flushing medicines down the toilet and by increased chances for drug mix-ups if people have out-of-date medications at home.
Receptacles are located at three police stations and a sheriff's office. The county incinerates the medications collected.
Officials in Salt Lake City and Oregon are considering similar programs for their jurisdictions, and several California counties and water districts also are looking at the program (Gordon, San Jose Mercury News, 2/20).