The hazards of tossing labeled pill bottles in trash bins

Stealing from trash has become the great American pastime!

Not only is it a headache for residents, it’s a pain to clean up the mess the garbage pickers leave in their wake, and because of this rash of dumpster diving, you may not be able to refill your headache, pain killer or ointment prescriptions.

Stealing empty prescription bottles is rising as exemplified by a senior citizen living in Santa Clarita, California, who spotted a teen and her accomplice look-out going through her trash bin and taking empty prescription bottles.

Upon seeing the senior lady, the girls fled, dropping an empty Vicodin bottle.

The problem of empty-bottle thefts was first noticed by the California Pharmacists Association about five years ago, an association spokesman said.

Authorities are uncertain of the scope of the problem, but they are sure that it’s increasing. Officials in the Santa Clarita Valley just northeast of Los Angeles have created a task force made of physicians, pharmacies, the sheriff’s department and senior centers to deal with the problem.

Trash bins provide easy access to controlled drugs, said David Gauny, a task force member.

“The situation may create serious delays for seniors and other who need legitimate, timely refills of their prescriptions," Gauny added.

More than that, thieves are becoming more inventive.

"They are also going to open houses and going through medicine cabinets," said Cary Quashen, president and founder of ACTION: Parent and Teen Support Program. "I don't think we're ever going to stop it, but we can make a dent."

As a first step, the Santa Clarita sheriff’s department has installed three secure trash bins in front of its station, which may be a good thing, albeit inconvenient for many.

A far simpler solution is to educate people and encourage them to do one simple thing: Remove the label from the prescription bottle before disposing of it.

Bob Kass, a pharmacist at a local grocery chain suggested that if pharmacists are suspicious, they should check IDs when the prescription is being picked up. To prevent an unauthorized person from obtaining granny’s refill, he also suggested that pharmacies have a list of authorized persons who are picking them up to help someone out.

Managers of building that cater to senior residents are also being advised of the problem, and are being asked to help residents dispose of empty prescription bottles properly.