Submitted by Thurston County Public Health and Social Services
Exciting news! Yelm has a new medication disposal box and is celebrating with an event on November 30, 2024, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Tim’s Pharmacy and Gift Shop. Tim’s Pharmacy and Gift Shop, a local business that has been serving the community over 100 years, houses the county’s newest medication disposal box.
On November 30, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Tim’s will be hosting a medication disposal box celebration with free root beer floats, free medication locking bags, and information provided by local community partners. Come out and bring your expired or unwanted medications with you to dispose of them!
When you dispose of unwanted medications at a medication drop box you help protect our community and keep medications out of our local waterways. Safe disposal is free and easy! There are numerous locations in Thurston County where you can take unwanted medications. Many of these are located at pharmacies including all of the local Rite Aid and Safeway stores. You can find a location near you at the Thurston Medication Take Back website.
For medication that needs to remain at home, make a plan for safe storage. Safe storage of medications is essential. Securely storing your medication protects your loved ones (including pets) from misuse and poisonings. Consider these basic tips for medication storage:
- Keep medicine out of reach.
- Store medications in their original containers with caps on. •
- Pay attention to how the medicine is being used. Know how many pills you have.
- Avoid storing medicine in your bathroom, kitchen, purse, or other visible places. •
- Store in a locked location like a cabinet or drawer. If that isn’t convenient, consider using a lock box or bag.
