Medication Disposal

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Increasing amounts of prescription drugs and personal care products (PPCPs) are being detected in U.S. rivers, waterways, and groundwater. Wastewater treatment facilities are not equipped to "filter out" these chemicals, so drugs like antidepressants, cholesterol reducers and antibiotics are being detected in drinking water supplies. The risk to humans and animals of long-term exposure to these contaminants in drinking water is unknown.

In addition, many children are the victims of accidental poisonings each year due to medications and personal care products in the home. In order to protect our children and the environment, we must ensure that medications and personal care products are properly handled, stored and disposed!

• Pharmaceutical Take-Back Program
• Medication and Personal Care Product Disposal Guidelines
• Sharps Disposal
• For More Information
• Articles & Links

Pharmaceutical Take-Back Program

The Pharmaceutical Take-Back Program allows Washtenaw County residents to take back their old, unwanted medications to a pharmacy to be properly disposed - for FREE! In compliance with the Controlled Substance Act (CSA), enforced by the Drug Enforcement Administration, this program DOES NOT ACCEPT any scheduled drugs. 

See what you can and cannot take to the pharmacies for disposal!

**Please call any of the participating pharmacies with specific questions about acceptable/unacceptable medications.**

Participating Pharmacies:

Dexter Pharmacy
8059 Main St.
Dexter, MI 48130
Map and Directions
(734) 426-4641

Dexter Pharmacy 2
7039 Dexter-Ann Arbor Rd.
Dexter, MI 48130
Map and Directions
(734) 426-1600

Pharmacy Solutions, Inc.
5204 Jackson Rd. Suite C
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Map and Directions
(734) 821-8000

St. Joseph Mercy Pharmacy - Reichert
5333 McAuley Dr.
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Map and Directions
(734) 712-2222 

St. Joseph Mercy Pharmacy - Saline
410 W. Russell St.
Saline, MI 48176
Map and Directions
(734) 429-1666

St. Joseph Mercy Pharmacy Towers
5301 E. Huron River Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48106
Map and Directions
(734) 712-3333

ChelseaCare Pharmacy/St. Joseph Mercy - Chelsea
775 S. Main St.
Chelsea, MI 48118
Map and Directions
(734) 475-3996

The Prescription Shop II
2140 E. Ellsworth Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Map and Directions
(734) 677-7066

Village Pharmacy II
325 N. Maple Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Map and Directions
(734) 668-9600

Wenk's - Prescription Shop
2355 E. Stadium Blvd
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Map and Directions
(734) 747 8080

Medication Disposal Guidelines

If you are unable to drop off your old medications at any of the participating pharmacies, please follow the guidelines below for safe disposal of medications within the home. 

View our 4-minute video on safe disposal of medications!        

Please CONTACT US with comments on the video. Thanks!

Medication Disposal Guidelines:

1. Clear out old medications for safety sake! "Medicine Chest Confusion" can result when leftover or expired pharmaceuticals are stored, sometimes leading to dangerous mix-ups. Or they can get into the wrong hands - medications are a major source of poisoning in young children. The following reports were made to Michigan's Poison Control Center for accidental ingestion of medications in children under 5 years old from January-June 2008:
• Ibuprofen - 877 reports
• Pediatric Multivitamins - 501 reports
• Antihistamines - 474 reports
• Antibiotics - 463 reports
• Calcium Supplements - 333 reports
  
2. Don't put medications down the toilet or sink! Whether you are on a septic system or municipal sewer, traces of flushed chemicals can reach the environment. Research shows that neither system removes them completely.
   
3. Wrap and Trash! Remove or black out any personal information on the label, but ensure the drug name is still visible. Wrap medication containers in duct tape, followed by several layers of plastic bags, to prevent crushing in the trash truck and contents spilling out. Many people are reluctant to send medications to the landfill for fear they will someday reach the groundwater aquifer. But modern landfills are lined, and the leachate is collected and treated to remove the harmful compounds.
   

For More Information:

POISON CONTROL
1-800-222-1222

Dan Moody
Solid Waste Coordinator
Washtenaw County Environmental Health Division
(734) 222-3827

Articles & Links:

• Guide to Prescription Drug and Personal Care Product Disposal - Homeowner's Handbook Guide No. 9 - Guide to water quality protection for homeowner associations and households, courtesy of the Office of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner.
• Prescription Drug and Personal Care Product Disposal Brochure - Courtesy of the Office of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner.
• Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Huron River - Reports from the City of Ann Arbor on the presence of endocrine disruptors and pharmaceuticals in the Huron River, the City of Ann Arbor's drinking water, and its wastewater.
• Lindane Pollution - Information from the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County on Lindane, an ingredient in prescription products used to treat head lice and the skin mite scabies.
• Flushed Meds Could Spur a Fishy Situation - Scientists concerned that discarded chemicals may affect aquatic life, San Mateo County Times.
• Improper Drug Disposal May Harm Fish - The Washington Post.
• Frogs, Fish and Pharmaceuticals a Troubling Brew - Prozac, other drugs detected in streams and their inhabitants, CNN.