Find out what it takes
Medication take-back bins keep communities safe and clean. To learn what it takes to host one, we talked to Yolo County Central Landfill Waste Reduction and Sustainability Manager Marissa Juhler.
“Take-back bins provide a convenient means for residents to do the right thing with their expired medications, protecting both their health as well as the environment.”
Marissa Juhler, Yolo County Central Landfill Waste Reduction and Sustainability Manage
How do medication take-back bins benefit the communities in which they’re located?
Environmental harm can come from residents flushing meds down toilets or sinks or improperly disposing of them in the trash, where they can end up polluting watersheds. Take-back bins provide a convenient means for residents to do the right thing with their expired medications, protecting both their health as well as the environment.
What types of places are suitable to host a take-back bin?
Pharmacies, hospitals with pharmacies, and law enforcement locations. Host locations would be responsible for maintaining a bin, keeping it secure, educating customers about the benefits of the program, and scheduling pharmaceutical pickups. Bins are also required to be located inside a building, within view of a pharmacist or law enforcement officer, and equipped with double-locking doors for security purposes.
What types of medications are accepted at the take-back bin locations?
You can bring in prescription and over-the-counter medications. While some locations can only accept non-controlled substances, all of Yolo County’s kiosks accept both controlled and non-controlled medications because most residents cannot be expected to know which drugs are controlled and non-controlled. Due to federal and state regulations, we only see pharmacies and law enforcement offices as options where both can be accepted. However, residents cannot use bins to dispose of medical sharps and needles, vitamins and dietary supplements, aerosol containers like asthma inhalers, chemotherapy or radiopharmaceuticals, business medical waste, marijuana, or illegal controlled substances like meth or heroin.
What are the costs and requirements involved in hosting a bin?
A weekly or monthly service fee would be incurred by the pharmacy for contracting out the collection and proper disposal of these materials. Pharmacies would be responsible for maintaining a bin, keeping it secure, educating customers about the benefits of the program, and scheduling pickups. Meds are then hauled off to an incinerator for destruction.
Is there any assistance available for host sites?
Sites can contact Drug Takeback Solutions Foundation (https://www.takebackfoundation.org/) and MED-Project (https://med-project.org/).
For more info about medication take-back bins, visit https://spotlight.newsreview.com/dont-rush-to-flush/.
To learn about California Product Stewardship Council’s many programs, visit https://www.calpsc.org/.
Written by Anne Stokes
