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HOUSTON — Sharps Compliance Corp. and the National Community Pharmacists Association are making it easier for consumers to safely dispose of unused and expired medications at their local pharmacy.
Sharps and NCPA on Thursday said the Dispose My Meds campaign website provides a tool that enables consumers to search a database of nearly 1,500 community pharmacies nationwide to find a location for environmentally friendly disposal of unwanted medications, including prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines.
Using the Dispose My Meds pharmacy locator tool, consumers can identify a local participating pharmacy disposal program by city, state or ZIP code.
Many of the pharmacies are promoting their services in the Dispose My Meds campaign with the approach of Earth Day on April 22. At participating pharmacies, consumers can dispose of unused medications with postage-paid envelopes or participate in on-site programs where pharmaceuticals are collected and disposed of properly.
NCPA is urging community pharmacies to sign up for the Dispose My Meds program as part of an ongoing effort.
"Safe and practical disposal programs make a real difference in addressing this growing public health concern," Lonny Wilson, president of NCPA and a pharmacy owner in Oklahoma City, said in a statement. "I commend these pharmacies for stepping up for the good of their communities and their patients. And, hopefully, consumers will gain a greater appreciation of their local community pharmacy."
The Dispose My Meds program started in 2010. Many pharmacies are using Sharps’ TakeAway Environmental Return System via a partnership between NCPA and Sharps Compliance.
"Sharps Compliance, NCPA and the NCPA members have a shared vision of being able to collect and dispose of unused medications in a manner which is cost-effective, includes counseling patients on the importance of adherence and, most importantly, is earth-friendly," stated Claude Dance, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Sharps Compliance. "To date, the Dispose My Meds program has collected and disposed of over 70,000 pounds of expired or otherwise unwanted noncontrolled medication and OTC products."
