The community is invited to clean out their medicine cabinets and drop off old or unused prescription and over-the-counter medications at various participating pharmacies across Grey and Bruce between December 13 and 20.

Local WOAA senior hockey teams, The Durham Thundercats, The Shallow Lake Crushers and The Saugeen Shores Winterhawks, are supporting this campaign by giving away free tickets to games, while supplies last. Anyone who drops off old/unused medication at the Durham IDA Drug Mart in Durham, McKenzie's Pharmacy in Wiarton and at Kristen's Pharmacy in Southampton will receive a ticket to one of the participating team's home games. Additional pharmacies also accepting medications as part of this campaign are listed below.

This event launches a second Medication Misuse awareness campaign in Grey Bruce this year. A successful campaign in September saw the Grey Bruce Health Unit partner with the Owen Sound Attack and Rexall Pharma Plus in downtown Owen Sound.

The campaign aims to increase knowledge around the proper disposal and storage of medication, reduce the amount of circulating unused/expired medication (especially opioid pain relievers) and to build the community's understanding of non-medicinal use of medication. Unused medication should always be returned to your local pharmacy for safe disposal.

According to the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (2015):

- 1 in 10 students (gr. 7-12) have used a prescription opioid pain reliever (e.g. Percocet, Percodan, Tylenol 3, Demerol and codeine) for nonmedical purposes in the past year;

- 6% of students have used over-the-counter cough and cold medicine to get high.

- 59% of teens who indicated they had misused prescription opioids said they took them from a parent, sibling or someone else they live with.

For additional information on prescription opioids including fentanyl please visit:

https://smh-assist.ca/blog/new-info-sheet-on-opioid-misuse/

Medication Drop-Off Locations

Durham IDA Drug Mart – 203 Garafraxa Road North, Durham

McKenzie's Pharmacy – 608 Berford Street, Wiarton

Kristen's Pharmacy – 197 Albert Street South, Unit 3, Southampton

Markdale IDA Pharmacy – 2 Toronto Street North, Markdale

Sauble Pharmacy – 329 Main Street North, Sauble Beach

Peninsula Pharmacy – 76 Main Street, Lion's Head

Gordon's Pharmasave – 767 Queen Street, Kincardine

Wardrop Pharmasave – 639 Goderich Street, Port Elgin

Lucknow Pharmasave – 622 Campbell Street, Lucknow

source: media release, Grey Bruce Health Unit