Carmel, New York —Prescription drug abuse is on the rise throughout our nation and Putnam County is
not immune. In an effort to combat the spread of this problem, the Putnam Communities That Care
(CTC) Coalition has taken on the task of providing the citizens of Putnam with an easy and safe way to
dispose of unused or expired medications. This not only prevents people from taking these medications
from their medicine cabinets but it also protects the environment caused by flushing medications down
the toilet or disposing of them in your trash. Medicines that are flushed down the drain or that leach
from landfills eventually end up in our waterways. Pharmaceuticals have become a significant water
pollutant nationwide.
We hold two Medication Take Back Day events every year at the Putnam Hospital Center in conjunction
with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the PHC and the County Health Department. Putnam CTC has
Carmel Police Department, Kent Police Department, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office in Carmel,
Philipstown Town Hall, Putnam Valley Town Hall, Patterson Town Hall, and in the lobby of the Kern
Building in Brewster. The boxes in the police departments are open 24/7. In Philipstown and the Kern
Building in Brewster, the box is open Monday - Friday 8:30am to 4:00pm and in Putnam Valley, the box
is open Monday-Friday 8:00am to 4:00pm and in Patterson, the box is open Monday – Friday 9:00am to
4:00 pm. Those boxes can take all unused or expired prescription medications, OTC medicines,
prescription ointments, pet medications and vitamins. They will not accept any needles, hydrogen
peroxide, aerosol cans, lotions, liquids or IV bags.
So check your medicine cabinets and get rid of any unused or expired medications today!