College students helped some Queens residents properly dispose of their expired prescriptions and over the counter medications on Saturday.
St. John's University pharmacy students collected about 10 pounds of prescription drugs for disposal as part of the Drug Enforcement Agency's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Pharmacy students said that people usually flush expired meds down the toilet or throw them in the trash, which is harmful to the environment.
"It'll end up in landfills, degrade and it'll also harm the soil," said St. John's Pharmacy Student Andrew Piracha. "We are currently student pharmacists and some of the faculty here helping us are pharm-licensed pharmacists so it's up to us to not only dispose of the medication properly but to make sure that all the patients are informed."
Those who didn't get a chance to stop by campus to dispose of their expired medications can consult their pharmacist or doctor to see if they have a way to dispose of the items properly.