A free service to dispose of unused or out of date medicines will be available to the general public in Cork and Kerry until Saturday, November 18, 2017.

The ‘Dispose of Unused Medicines Properly’ (DUMP) campaign has been organised by Cork Kerry Community Healthcare with the community pharmacists in Cork and Kerry and is supported by Cork City Council, Cork County Council and Kerry County Council.

Almost all pharmacies in Cork and Kerry are participating in the campaign and are actively encouraging people to return unwanted or out of date medicines to them so that it can be disposed of safely and properly.  

Louise Creed, HSE Pharmacist explains why people should take this opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted medicines and said:

“We would strongly urge people to take this opportunity to get rid of out of date or unused medicines.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. Check all the dates and remove anything that is out of date or no longer required. As well as the hazards posed by overdose, accidental poisoning and damage to the environment, medicines can change when out of date and may end up being harmful.”