Members of the East Tennessee Regional Medical Collection Coalition are hosting a one-day collection of unwanted medicines and a used mercury thermometer exchange on Saturday, March 31.
The event will be offered 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Food City parking lot, 7608 Mountain Grove Dr. Veterinary medications will also be accepted.
It’s an easy way for residents to turn in unwanted or outdated prescription medicines, over-the-counter medications and used mercury thermometers for proper disposal. New non-mercury thermometers will be provided in exchange.
Medicines may be dropped off at this site only at this one-day event. At all other times, unused medicines may be taken to the Knoxville Police Department Safety Building, 800 Howard Baker, Jr. Ave. The Safety Building is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The event will also offer document shredding and a blood drive.
The goal of the collection event is to prevent pharmaceutical and over-the-counter products from getting into area water resources – or into the hands of children or others for whom they are not prescribed – and to make sure they are disposed of in a safe, environmentally-friendly manner.
The effort is part of an ongoing, nationwide effort to reduce the amount of drugs, fragrances, sunscreen products and nutritional supplements that are entering water resources by either being flushed or poured down drains.
Event organizers will be accepting residential and household medications only. Medications from businesses such as doctor’s offices, veterinarian clinics and nursing homes will not be accepted, but there will be qualified staff on site to discuss disposal of those items.
Sponsors of the medicine collection are the Knoxville Police Department, Knox County and City of Knoxville Solid Waste Offices, Knox County Health Department, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, UT Academy of Student Pharmacists, KUB, Metro Drug Coalition, Hallsdale Powell Utility District, Knoxville Academy of Medical Alliance, WBIR, Food City and Moe’s Southwest Grill.