SOLUTIONS
Disposal Box Options Your pharmacy has a variety of options to choose from when looking for a medication disposal box program for your pharmacy. Here are the details on three options. AMERICAN SECURITY CABINETS American Security Cabinets manufactures prescription drug collection boxes and offers 6-gallon, 17-gallon, 33-gallon and 68-gallon medication disposal units for pharmacies. The units accept controlled medications (Schedule II-V), non-controlled medications and overthe-counter (OTC) products. All units come in stainless steel, but can be customized in the color of your choice. Besides purchasing the unit upfront, available programs include a leasing program, an event kiosk program for pharmacies with space limitations, a tradein program for pharmacies that need to upgrade to a larger receptacle, and a try-and-buy program, which allows pharmacies to try a medication disposal unit for a low monthly fee during a trial period. American Security Cabinets partners with multiple DEA-registered reverse distributors, and pharmacies can choose which reverse distributor they want to work with to handle destroying the product once a bin’s liner is full. Cost: Starts at $37 a month. “The cost to run the program will be determined by the frequency in which the box needs to be emptied. This varies substantially based on factors such as community involvement, population size, and the size of the box chosen,” said Mike Pietrini, president and CEO of American Security Cabinets. Learn more at rxdrugdrops.com. MEDSAFE® MedSafe®, a medication disposal program from Sharps Compliance Inc., offers 18-gallon and 38-gallon
medication disposal receptacles for pharmacies. The units accept controlled medications (Schedule II-V), noncontrolled medications and OTC products. The receptacles come with an inner-liner, which the pharmacy mails back to the company. The waste is later disposed of through a DEA-approved incineration process. MedSafe also offers a take-home envelope option that pharmacies can sell or provide to patients who would rather mail-in their unused or unwanted noncontrol medications. Cost: Pharmacies on the leasing program can expect to pay $100-$150 per month for a MedSafe disposal unit, which includes the recurring cost for the receptacle liners. Learn more at sharpsinc.com/medsafe. DISPOSE MY MEDS™ For members of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), the Dispose My Meds™ program, which is managed by the NCPA Foundation, provides an affordable option for pharmacies to dispose of unwanted, unused or expired prescription medications for their patients. “NCPA members receive a discount on Sharp’s TakeAway Environmental Return System™ containers (for the disposal of non-controlled substances only) or pre-paid postage envelopes. The MedSafe® is also available for purchase at a discounted rate for the disposal of controlled substances,” said Ronna Hauser, Pharm.D., vice president of pharmacy affairs at NCPA. Cost: Prices of the units vary depending on size, but “a 10-gallon TakeAway container is only $75 at the discounted NCPA member price. All prices include shipping, tracking, packaging and witnessed destruction at the Sharp’s incineration facility,” she said. Learn more at ncpanet.org/disposemymeds.
ELEMENTS | pbahealth.com/elements
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