Trying to figure out the proper way to dispose of your old medications?
Sona Pharmacy is dedicated to helping protect our water systems from pollution, and our communities from drug diversion. Drug diversion is defined as the transfer of legally prescribed controlled substances from the person to whom they were originally prescribed, to someone who will use it for illicit use (either to sell or to abuse).
When thinking about disposing of your medications, it is important to keep a few things in mind:
- Drugs that are flushed down the toilet, or poured down the drain, can end up in our drinking water.
- Drugs that are improperly disposed of can end up in the hands of people who intend to sell them and perpetuate the growing prescription drug epidemic.
- It is never appropriate to share or pass on unused or expired medications with family or friends.
So what is the best way to go about disposing of your expired or unused medications?
The best way to dispose of your unused or expired medications is to take advantage of local drug take-back programs. Drug take-back programs are available in two settings. You can either attend community drug take-back events, or use medication disposal drop boxes located throughout WNC.
Drug Take-Back Events
Community drug take-back events are special events that aim to provide “safe, convenient, and responsible means for disposing of prescription medication”.
These events provide specific education about medications and the abuse potential of prescription drugs. The official National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is April 29, 2017, but there are take-back events scattered throughout the year.
In fact, Sona Pharmacy, in conjunction with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department, will be hosting a drug take-back event on Saturday, March 18, 2017 from 10 AM – 2 PM. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for additional information about this event. We would love to see you there!
Drug Take-Back Boxes
Drug take-back boxes are medication disposal boxes that are permanently available at local law enforcement offices. These boxes allow you to securely dispose of prescription medications without the concern of them being diverted.
A list of local drop box locations are listed below:
| Buncombe |
Asheville Police Department 100 Court Plaza Asheville Mon-Fri 9am-5pm |
| Transylvania |
Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office 153 Public Safety Way Brevard Mon-Fri 8am-8pm |
| Haywood |
Haywood County Sheriff’s Office 1620 Brown Ave Waynesville 24/7 |
| Henderson |
Henderson County Sheriff’s Office 100 North Grove Street Hendersonville Mon-Fri 9am-5pm |
| Madison |
Madison County Sheriff’s Department 348 Medical Park Drive Marshall 24/7 |
Let’s work together to keep our community safe and properly dispose of prescription drugs.
Please stop by Sona Pharmacy’s Drug Take-Back event on March 18th from 10 am – 2 pm. By properly disposing of medications, we can help keep the WNC community safe and healthy. We look forward to meeting you soon!
Karen Edey
PharmD Candidate UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy
