County's pill plans hope to avoid bad drug scene

Wait. Don’t flush those old prescription drugs down the toilet. It could cause serious problems for the region’s water treatment plants. It also could harm fish and wildlife that depend on local rivers and streams.

That’s why Washington County’s Clean Water Services and other agencies are working with local governments to create a new expired drug take-back program.

The plan, which is in the very early stages, would provide an alternative to flushing pills down the drain by allowing people to turn their drugs in at take-back centers.

“Our two objectives are to create awareness that there is a better alternative and to establish a program that gets rid of the pharmaceuticals safely,” said Brenda Bateman, public policy coordinator for the Tualatin Valley Water District.

from the Beaverton Times