Help your community get rid of unwanted or expired medications
by Anne Stokes
Safe disposal drug take-back bins provide a responsible option for those looking to get rid of unwanted medications. As convenient as bins are for customers and patients to use, getting a take-back bin installed at your site is almost as easy.
“Secure Collection Receptacles and Mail-Back Services both offer residents safe, free, and convenient disposal options for unwanted household medication,” says Dr. Victoria Travis, national program director for MED-Project. She adds that, “Secure Collection Receptacles provide authorized collectors with the opportunity to provide residents with an on-site option for safe, free, and convenient disposal of unwanted household medication.”
What is the MED-Project?
The MED-Project is a statewide program that connects pharmacies, clinics, hospitals, and law enforcement locations with not just a free pharmaceutical take-back bin, but also provides for:
- Bin installation
- Free transportation and disposal of unwanted medications
- Educational materials for customers and staff
- Replacement bins and liners
- Maintenance requests
- Support after installation
Who can host a bin?
To be eligible to host a take-back bin placement, a location must:
- Be a pharmacy, clinic, hospital with an onsite pharmacy, or law enforcement agency
- Meet DEA requirements as an authorized collector
Host responsibilities
Sites are additionally responsible for:
- Keeping bins secure
- Educating customers on its use
- Scheduling material pick-ups
How to get a safe disposal drug take-back bin installed at your site
The first step is filling out a questionnaire to determine eligibility, which will help MED-Project staff issue your site an agreement detailing installation requirements. Next is a brief pre-installation survey to help determine the best location inside your facility to place a collection bin. And when it comes time for the installation, MED-Project representatives will be on-site to oversee the process. Once the bin is in place, sites are not on their own. Ongoing support is also available, including a 24-hour help desk and online resources to help sites manage bin usage and ensure community members are able to safely get rid of unwanted or expired medications.
“In addition to providing routine inspection and maintenance services, MED-Project provides toll-free and online support options for participating authorized collection sites,” says Dr. Travis. “Help-desk agents are available 24/7 to answer questions and provide support for participating locations.”
To start the process of getting a pharmaceutical take-back bin at your location, call 1-833-MED-PROJECT (1-833-633-7765) or go to www.med-project.org.
To find a bin near you, go to medtakebackcalifornia.org.
Read more stories about bins in California’s Central Valley, High Desert, Los Angeles and Ventura counties, California’s North Central Valley, North Coast, Orange County, California’s Rural Mountains, San Diego County, and California’s South Central Valley.
Brought to you by the California Drug Take-Back Program and the California Product Stewardship Council.
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The California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) is a powerful network of local governments, non-government organizations, businesses, and individuals supporting policies and projects where producers share in the responsibility for managing problem products at their end of life.
CPSC is California’s thought leader and expert on Product Stewardship and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) movement.
EPR enjoys the support of more than 26 million Californians. That’s nearly 70% of the state's population! Nearly 150 resolutions have been passed by California local jurisdictions and organizations supporting a more sustainable and toxic free environment through product stewardship. CPSC works closely with companies who have redesigned products for reuse as well as those who have established pilot or permanent collection programs with some sharing of costs with others in the product chain.
