Need To Get Rid of Old or Unused Medication?
Do you have old medications at home? Dispose of them safely at one of our MedSafe kiosks, located at each of our hospitals and retail pharmacies.
Our medication disposal kiosks are a free and anonymous way to make sure the medicine doesn’t cause harm to others—unused prescriptions can be stolen, accidentally consumed by children or pets or can harm the water supply if flushed or put down a drain.
“Safe disposal of unwanted or unused medications is an important element of our system-wide approach to opioid stewardship,” said Chad Alvarez, senior director of Retail Pharmacy. "It helps us avoid the potential for abuse of medications."
Since implementing this program last year, we have collected over 1,000 pounds of medication through our kiosks!
Tips for Using the MedSafe Kiosks
- Simply place all unused medications, including legally held controlled substances such as narcotics (Schedules II - V), into the MedSafe kiosk using the top medicine drop-door.
- Be sure to leave medications in original packaging and containers when possible.
- The following items should not be placed in the kiosks:
- Illegal drugs (Schedule I)
- Liquid containers larger than 4 ounces (place in a plastic baggy)
- Sharps containers, needles, syringes, batteries, aerosol spray cans, trash, medical devices, chemicals or other hazardous materials
To find a collection site near you, visit the National Take-Back Initiative website and search for a location by city or zip code.
For more information about our MedSafe kiosks, contact Chad Alvarez, Retail Pharmacy, at cealvarez@carilionclinic.org or 540-510-4772 (54772).
