To help residents of the Charlottesville and Augusta County areas safely and securely dispose of unwanted prescription medications for free, UVA Health has added six new medication receptacles at its outpatient pharmacies.
“We are excited to make it easier for people from across the region to properly dispose of unneeded prescription medications in a safe, convenient way,” said Justin Vesser, ambulatory pharmacy director at UVA Health. “These secure receptacles can help prevent prescription medications from being misused or abused.”
The new receptacles are located near the retail pharmacy drop-off windows at these locations:
- Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center (1240 Lee St., Charlottesville)
- UVA Health Orthopedic Center Ivy Road (2280 Ivy Road, Charlottesville)
- UVA Pantops Pharmacy (590 Peter Jefferson Place, Charlottesville)
- UVA Bookstore Pharmacy (400 Emmet St. South, Charlottesville)
- UVA Student Health Pharmacy (550 Brandon Ave., Charlottesville)
- UVA Augusta Pharmacy (57 Beam Lane, Fishersville)
They join existing medication receptacles at these locations:
- UVA Outpatient Pharmacy at Education Resource Center (1240 Lee St., Charlottesville)
- UVA Zion Crossroads Pharmacy (1015 Spring Creek Parkway, Zion Crossroads)
Disposing of Unwanted Medications
A drawer at the top of each receptacle is large enough to hold most medication bottles. Once the drawer closes, it drops the medications into a secure storage box below, which is inaccessible to everyone but pharmacy staff. There are detailed instructions on the outside of the receptacle.
For security purposes, the tamper-resistant metal receptacle is anchored to the pharmacy’s floor. When the receptacle is full, it is sent to an outside processor that safely destroys the medications.
The receptacle is for prescription drugs only. Illegal drugs and medical waste such as syringes and needles are not accepted. Pharmacy team members cannot handle any medications brought for disposal.
