Take Away Program

In response to news about the presence of pharmaceuticals contaminating the water supply and teenage abuse of prescription drugs, Med-Equip Pharmacy offers a medication take-back program.  TakeAway is a statewide program utilizing community pharmacies as take-back sites for Iowans to safely dispose of unused or expired medications that may be dangerous to others and to the environment if not disposed of properly.

“As members of the community, pharmacists are in a prime position to ensure the safe and proper handling of medications, from dispensing to disposal,” said Wally Tschopp RPh.  “Unused or expired medications pose risks to our families, communities, and the environment.”

The Office of National Drug Control has found that prescription drugs are the drug of choice among 12- and 13-year olds, while a third of all new abusers of prescription drugs were between the ages of 12 and 17. Consumers are disposing of unused medicines by flushing them down the drain, adding pharmaceutical pollution to our water supplies.  In addition, medicines thrown in the trash can end up in landfills if not first picked up by children, pets, or anyone rummaging through trash.

Med-Equip Pharmacy is a member of the Iowa Pharmacy Association which launched TakeAway in partnership with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy in November 2009. TakeAway provides a consumer drug disposal option for unused and/or expired medications to be incinerated in a waste-to-energy destruction facility.  Legislation provided start-up funding for 600 pharmacies; there are presently 415 pharmacies enrolled in the program. By working together, pharmacists across the state of Iowa hope to make a difference for the environment and our communities through TakeAway Environmental Return System.

For more information on TakeAway, including a list of acceptable and non-acceptable items, please visit www.iarx.org/takeaway.