LEWISTON – About 20,000 doses of medicines that are no longer needed have been collected for disposal in Lewiston.

Saturday was Medicine Disposal Day on the grounds of Lewiston High School, an event aimed at preventing medicines from being flushed down the toilet or winding up in the wrong hands. The drugs will be incinerated by a firm that handles hazardous waste.

Items collected included prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and veterinary medicine. There were 63 bottles of painkillers such as oxycodone.

Organizations sponsoring the event included the Lewiston Police Department and Healthy Androscoggin.