For Immediate Release
Date: Sept. 6, 2024
Contact: Cory Brown, Supervising Community Education Specialist, (530) 245-6857, cbrown@shastacounty.gov
Local pharmacies and mail-back options offer multiple methods for free, safe medication disposal
SHASTA COUNTY – Local pharmacies now provide multiple safe medication disposal kiosks in Shasta County, allowing the closing of four kiosks outside the Redding and Anderson Police departments and Burney and Shasta Lake Sheriff’s substations. Kiosks are no longer permitted outside law enforcement agencies.
Shasta County residents who have old or unused medications are encouraged to use one of 16 disposal kiosks in pharmacies throughout Shasta County or free mail-back options available through Med Project.
Disposing of medications safely helps avoid the misuse of potentially dangerous drugs by youth and others who have not been prescribed the medications. Flushing medications down the toilet pollutes our waterways. The best way to protect family, friends and the environment is to safely dispose of medications through available free disposal kiosks or mail-back options.
In 2015, the four medication disposal kiosk locations were established outside law enforcement sites in Shasta County. At that time, they were the primary sources of medication disposal for the public in Shasta County, funded by Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). Since then, California has enacted Senate Bill 212, requiring pharmaceutical producers and distributers to fund programs that provide free medication disposal options throughout the state, such as with disposal kiosks inside pharmacies. Shifting this cost to pharmaceutical companies saves taxpayer dollars, allowing HHSA to direct that money to other priorities.
Additionally, the latest federal guidelines require medication disposal collection receptacles to be inside when located at law enforcement agencies. (21 CFR 1317.35)
HHSA and Shasta County pharmacies continue to further increase the availability of medication disposal kiosks, including recently established medication disposal kiosks in Shasta Lake and Burney. With the large increase of medication disposal options, HHSA and local law enforcement agencies encourage all residents to safely and securely dispose of old and unused medications.
For the most up-to-date information on available options, please go to RxSafeShasta.com.
For free mail-back medication disposal services, go to: https://med-project.org/locations/california/meds/mail-services-for-disposal/
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