Okmulgee County hosts medication and sharps take-back event
Okmulgee County residents safely dropped off unused medications and medical sharps during a take-back event hosted by OSUIT and the Okmulgee Consortium.
The Okmulgee Consortium and OSUIT gathered unwanted medical supplies at an Okmulgee County site on Wednesday. Residents dropped off materials safely and anonymously. The collection gave neighbors a secure place to turn in expired or unused medications.
Previously, both groups partnered twice a year for similar collection drives. Those earlier efforts focused strictly on medications. New funding arrived recently.
That funding allowed the partners to hire a company to handle sharps disposal. Larissa Warden works as the grant coordinator at the OSU Department of Wellness.
“Medical sharps are lancets, needles. A lot of folks are unable to dispose of them properly.”
Warden said local options remain limited for medical waste disposal. She noted the team feels fortunate to provide this service to the community.
Disposal programs often set up temporary collection sites to keep dangerous items out of public trash bins. These efforts help stop accidental needle injuries and prevent unwanted substances from reaching local waterways.
The Okmulgee Consortium also recently partnered with a pharmacy. This partnership provides Okmulgee County residents with mail-back containers to store sharps safely between scheduled events.
