Kilkenny people urged to dispense of unused medicines safely

Kilkenny people with unused medicines have the opportunity to dispose of them safely and free of charge as part of the HSE South East's 'Dispose of Unused Medicines Properly’ (DUMP) Campaign.

The service, which successfully operated in Waterford last May, will serve local residents on Wednesdays for the remainder of July and August.

The initiative will enable people to bring unused or out of date medicines to a designated “DUMP” site, based locally in Unit 24 Hebron Industrial Estate, located on the outskirts of the city.

The service is also being offered in counties; Carlow, Wexford and South Tipperary.

Accidental poisonings, illness, overdose and suicide are all potential risk factors from taking unused or out of date medication.

“The HSE urges people to take this opportunity to get rid of out of date or unused medicines. Medication can pose a real hazard in the home, particularly to children or other vulnerable people. Clearing out your medicine cabinet is something that should be done on a regular basis'', Fiona Maher, HSE Pharmacist, said.

“It’s important that medicines are disposed of correctly. Disposing of medicines in the rubbish bin means that they could be accessed by children or pets. Flushing medicine down the sink or toilet means that medicine residues can enter the environment and even small amounts of medicines can affect freshwater ecosystems'', she concluded.

The Kilkenny Centre will be open every second Wednesday from 10am-3pm until August 30.