Members of the public in Cork and Kerry are being urged to return unwanted or out-of-date medication to pharmacies, so that they can be disposed of safely.

The DUMP (Dispose of Unused Medicines Properly) campaign has been organised by the HSE and almost all pharmacies in Cork and Kerry are participating.

This free service is available until Sunday, November 15, and includes prescription and over-the counter medicines.

According to the HSE, medicines can accumulate in homes for a number of reasons, for example, a person may have stopped taking their medication because their health problem was resolved.

"We would strongly urge people to take this opportunity to get rid of out-of-date or unused medicines. Medication can pose a real hazard in the home, particularly to children or other vulnerable people.

"Clearing out your medicine cabinet is something that should be done on a regular basis. Check all the dates and remove anything that is out of date or no longer required. As well as the hazards posed by overdose, accidental poisoning and damage to the environment, medicines can change when out of date and may end up being harmful," explained HSE pharmacist, Louise Creed.

The HSE pointed out that according to figures from the Poisons Information Centre in Dublin's Beaumont Hospital, around 4,000 children per year are accidentally poisoned. The vast majority of these cases occur at home and include children who mistake medication for sweets.

It also noted that around 50 cases of suicide per year are due to drug overdoses, while around 8,000 people per year present to Emergency Departments (EDs) as a result of deliberate overdoses. Having large quantities of medication at home may increase the risk of suicide among particularly vulnerable people.

The HSE also reminded people that dumping medicines at home, for example, pouring them down the sink or putting them in the bin, can damage the environment. These products can end up in landfills where they permeate the soil and enter our food and water supply.

Almost all pharmacies in Cork and Kerry are taking part and are encouraging people to return unwanted or out-of-date medication to them so that they can safely dispose of them.

During the 2012 Dump campaign in these two counties, over 280 bins containing 3.8 tonnes of medicines, were safely disposed of.