Residents living in Qulin and Puxico now have a way to safely dispose of unused or expired medications.
Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health recently presented the Qulin Police Department and Puxico Police Department with permanent drop boxes to collect unused and expired medications.
The prescription drop boxes, according to Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health officials, play an important role in preventing the misuse of prescription medicine in communities.
Earlier this year, Qulin City Marshal Michael Lashley said, he was at a conference when the topic was discussed with Behavioral Health officials.
“(An official) actually contacted us and said they had funding for prescription med boxes and asked if we would be interested,” Lashley said.
The box, Lashley said, is located at City Hall (245 D St.), and it is available for drop off any time during business hours.
“We’ve had a couple people drop off some prescription meds,” Lashley said.
Qulin, he said, is a “small town; we don’t have a lot (but) it’s there for anyone who needs to get rid of old meds or some they are no longer using.”
Puxico Police Chief Rick Sheren said his department also talked with Behavioral Health officials about getting a box and then later contacted them about it.
“They brought it over” about two to three weeks ago, and it was placed in the police department’s lobby at 141 N. Hickman St., Sheren said.
The box is available when an officer is inside the police department, and the building is unlocked, Sheren said.
“There is stuff in it right now,” Sheren said. “There’s people that have dropped off already.”
Citizens, Sheren said, also can use the old night deposit at the police department, which was formerly the Ozark Border Electric Cooperative’s building.
“A lot of people utilized that before we got this box,” and that option remains, Sheren said.
The medications, according to Sheren, will be picked up by Drug Enforcement Administration officials for disposal.
“The more that we can get off the streets, the better off we are,” Sheren said.