Check that medicine cabinet or those bathroom shelves. Find anything interesting? Geisinger officials think lots of us have old or expired prescriptions hanging around, and they're offering a chance to dispose of them properly.
Behind marijuana, prescription drugs are the second most used and abused drug among kids and teens. That's what Dr. Anthony Wylie told us at the Geisinger Lake Scranton Facility.
He wanted us to know about something Geisinger started a medication take-back program, because he points out you shouldn't just throw it away.
"Any expired medication or a medicine not prescribed to you can be a danger to a child or other adults. And it can hurt the environment. It can get into our river water or drinking water," said Dr. Wylie.
Dr. Wylie points out there are a number of reasons a doctor would change a prescription's dose, or advise a patient to stop taking a certain pill. The medication take-back is happening at any Caresite Pharmacy, and even non-Geisinger patients can take part.
One more tip about having prescription drugs around the house: it's a good idea to ask your pharmacist about side-effects not just for you, but for someone else. That way you can better recognize whether someone other than you has ingested it.
